Sparks will Fly
by forever.blue.skies
Summary: When Rima gets partnered with Nagihiko for a science project, the two of them aren't happy campers. But could some things happen that changes everything? -He was panting heavily and she looked at him worriedly as his face flushed a dark red.-
1. Day 1, Part 1: Nikaidou plays Matchmaker

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_I do not own Shugo Chara! (Yes, this is the disclaimer.)  
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Nikaidou never followed the textbook. He thought that it was always incorrect, and he just never bothered to read it. Except, one day, when the vice principle found out, he was forced to do an experiment.

On electricity.

Oh sure, biology is just fine for the kids. Body parts, digestive system, gory blood, pretty interesting things. Stars and matter were pretty okay subjects as well. It always cracked him up whenever he asked the question "What's a star?" and somebody blurts out "A ball of fire!" But once they hit electricity, the grunts and groans started.

After all, with electricity, all people really know is that a lightbulb lights up due to electricity, but not the main properties. Some people are content going the rest of their life not knowing how it works.

And personally, he _really_ wanted to agree.

Even worse, when he hits electricity, those two are probably going to start getting bored. They weren't loud, and Nikaidou knows that he's the only one who notices the small glaring contests they have back there. And once the subject gets boring, it can only get worse.

Nikaidou sighed, feeling bad for himself as he forced himself to read the textbook. He came across something interesting, and he stared at it thoughtfully.

Maybe, just maybe, the textbook was onto something…

**At school, science class, Rima's POV**

I sat down into my desk in the back of the room and sighed heavily. Science, how dull, and even worse, we were learning electricity. Do I really need to learn anything? I mean, as long as the lightbulb lights up, I am completely content to go my whole dandy life learning nothing else. But nooo, we have to be _'educated'._

Psh.

Kusukusu giggled at my expression. "Rima, smile!" she said as she pulled a funny face. I gave her a slight smile, which completely fell as soon as I heard _his_ voice.

"Good morning, Rima-chan." I glanced up at the person besides me. _Fujisaki Nagihiko_. I smiled at him pleasantly.

"Good morning Nade—"I started, until his hand slammed down on top of my mouth. I struggled to get it off, glaring at him all the while. Curious stares looked down upon us, and we both instantly shut up, like there was a remote that turned us off.

"What'd you do that for?" I hissed at him as class started. He rolled his eyes and then he glanced at me while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, because you weren't just about to give away my other identity," he whispered sarcastically.

"You sound like that American chick…that Hannah Montana girl!" I hissed back. He smirked, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't that amused either.

I rolled my eyes. It's not like I was going to say the whole name, I would've stopped and gone, Nade-, oh wait, Nagihiko, my bad. I have at least _some _sympathy in my heart.

Well, probably, at least.

Kusukusu came up into my ear and whispered, "Ne, Rima, I'm going to the Royal Garden with Rhythm and Temari, okay?" I nodded quietly, and the three of them flew off.

"This is so boring," I muttered. Nagihiko smirked, but nodded in agreement. I wanted to groan. Electricity was so boring…Eventually, I started to drown out whatever Nikaidou-sensei was saying. I secretly took out my gag manga and put it behind my science textbook as I read it.

That is, until I was so rudely interrupted by Nikaidou-sensei.

"Excuse me, Fujisaki-san, Mashiro-san, but didn't you hear me? You two are partners for your science project, and you can get to work now!"

Partners.

_Partners._

The word alone only speaks of a certain doom for me. Of course, _I _just had to be with the cross-dresser. What had I ever done in my life to deserve this? Nagihiko frowned, and sighed.

Amu walked over here along with Tadase, with Amu turning so red, I thought her head was going to blow up with all the pressure in her head.

"Isn't it sad that whenever Nikaidou-sensei puts us into partners, we're always with guardians? He's acting as if we don't have other friends," Amu said with a scoff. I rolled my eyes. She was being stubborn again, seeing as how it was so obvious that she wanted to be with Tadase.

"Fine, Amu, I'm sure that if you asked Yamabuki-san, she'd be happy to switch partners with you," I said with a bored expression.

"Eh? No, um, no, this arrangement is fine, for now," she said, sounding flustered even while trying to pull off her 'cool 'n' spicy' side.

Nagihiko chuckled at the two as they went into their own little world, or, more like Amu drooling over the Tadase while he rambled on about electrical currents and things.

I glanced up atNagihiko and turned towards him. I could see my slaves seething in anger behind me, their partners trying to get their attention to no avail. Nagihiko, obviously, noticed the heated glares, and seemed a bit creeped out, either by their extreme obsession, or by the fact that they were ready to kill the moment I said 'go.' I'm betting on both.

Nagihiko stepped back about five steps, and then asked, "Well, since this project is due in three weeks, I was thinking we should probably either go to my house or yourhouseyourchoice," he said quickly, his words blurring at the ends as he jumped over a seat to get away from my killer servants.

"Down," I said with a slight sigh, and all of them went away, reluctantly. But, I can bet you a hundred bucks that Nagihiko will be targeted for death for about two weeks.

"You're fanboys are the most obsessive people ever. I'm surprised that Hotori-kun is still alive," he muttered. I shrugged.

"They're _loyal_, and you know what else? They don't lie, and they don't cross-dress," I whispered back. He turned towards me with a slight smirk, either because he didn't want to murder a three-foot girl, and was trying to maintain his pea-sized sense of humor, or he was amused, which means he is a freak of nature (as if I didn't know that already).

"You're really going to hold that against me for as long as I live, aren't you?" he asked, his eyebrow twitching.

I smiled up at him sweetly and said, "Yeah, so you better suck it up, Girly-boy."

He stared at me. "_G-Girly-boy?_ Did you just call me Girly-boy?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded, already getting bored. He's lucky that I didn't call him 'Hannah Montana'. I grabbed a gag manga and started lazily flipping through it. "Fine, Demon Chibi, can you come to my house today, after school?"

I nodded absently, still flipping through the manga. Nagihiko left, but then something registered in my mind.

Demon Chibi? Oh, it's on Girly-boy, it's on.

**After-school**

"—I want everybody to be careful, seeing as how he has already attempted to kidnap five kids at this school," Nikaidou-sensei said.

"Yeah, did you hear? It's horrible! He's robbed several banks too…" a girl said sitting next to me worriedly. "Kidnapping kids too? Do you think he might be trying to get ransom money?"

I said nothing. A recent thief/kidnapper/burglar had appeared in this area, and it was scaring everybody. Adults were extra protective, things like that. Things that had happened to me before this kidnapper…

Kusukusu flew in through the window and came up behind me worriedly, apparently hearing the word 'kidnapper' had freaked her out. I gave her a reassuring smile.

I sighed as I packed up my stuff, and then I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder, which made me jump. I looked up and saw Nagihiko waiting impatiently.

"May I help you?" I asked, irritated. He glanced at me, wondering if I was kidding. Deciding from the death daggers I was sending him from my eyes, he decided I wasn't.

"We're going to my house to work on the project," he said slowly, as if I was a first-grader.

I frowned. "When did I…" I trailed off, confused. Then I suddenly remembered, the vaguest memory of some freak asking me to go to their house.

Guess I found which freak it was.

"I'm not an idiot, you don't have to talk like that," I said, feeling a sudden urge to slap him, which wasn't uncommon nowadays.

He must have noticed that my death daggers were slowly becoming death _bombs_, and that I was clenching and unclenching my hand dangerously. I might look like a teddy bear, but I'm a teddy bear who owns an axe, and knows _exactly_ where a head is located.

Or maybe it'd be more torturous to just chop off all of his long, pretty—I meant disgusting. Yes, long, _disgusting_ dark hair. Either way is fine…Better pick the one with less blood…There'd be less of a mess leftover…

"Rima-chan…Your staring is kind of creepy," Nagihiko said, sounding slightly amused. "Well, whatever, let's go." He took my arm and dragged me out of the room, and through the gates of the school. Eventually we started walking, and I quickly texted my mom, telling her I was going to…a friend's house. If I mentioned the words _boy_,_ house,_ and _together_, in one sentence, my dad would have a seizure.

He's old enough, and I personally think that if one more thing happens, he'll be pushed right over the edge. I sighed heavily and turned towards Nagihiko, who was humming a song softly to himself.

Kusukusu was with Rhythm and Temari, floating above us. Traitor.

"I can stay at your house for dinner, right?" I asked quietly. "It's not like I want to, but my mom and dad are coming home late…" I trailed off, glancing up at him.

He smiled cheerfully down at me, and I shot him a glare. He froze, and the smile became awkward as my glare intensified. It took some effort to stop, actually. I suppose old habits die hard.

We walked past this huge mansion, which looked like it was miles long. I nearly stopped in amazement.

"Wah, amazing Rima!" Kusukusu said in awe, without even giggling. I nodded in agreement.

"Ne, Nagihiko, isn't this ho—"I stopped talking as I noticed that Nagihiko was no longer next to me. I glanced around, and saw him stop in front of the massive gate of the house, about to ring the doorbell.

My eyes widened, and I walked over to him. "Nagihiko, what are you doing?" I hissed hurriedly, looking worried. He glanced down at me in surprise.

"You didn't know? This is my house," he replied. My jaw would've dropped and slammed right into the concrete had I not controlled myself. "Girly-boy lives in a _mansion?" _Kusukusu mimicked my reactions, and then giggled happily.

He rolled his eyes, and seemed to consider protesting against the term 'Girly-boy' again, before wisely choosing to just shut up and stay that way. Eventually, I heard soft steps shuffling towards the massive door, and it slowly creaked open.

"Thank you, Baaya-san," Nagihiko said politely. I looked up in surprise and saw an elderly woman. A kindly expression was on her face, along with a soft smile. I bowed slightly and gave her a small smile. "Hello."

"Ah, is this your girlfriend, Nagihiko-san?" she asked with a small chuckle. I turned red at the thought, and Nagihiko didn't exactly look 'thrilled' either.

Probably thinking that neither of us noticed, the Shugo Charas started laughing extremely hard, while Rhythm was like, "Finally Nagihiko, a girlfriend!"

They were going to be slaughtered. Both me and Nagihiko turned to face them, and apparently we had a murderous look in our eyes, since the Shugo Charas' eyes widened and they flew past us, with Rhythm saying, "Hey, Kusukusu, you've never been here before, right? Let's go to Nagi's room!"

"N-no, of course not!" Nagihiko muttered quickly, after the Shugo Chara's left. I willed myself to make my cheeks return to their normal color. The blush receded _slowly,_ much to my displeasure. I huffed a bit, and dragged Nagihiko inside the house, with another slight, polite bow to the old lady.

I walked in, and started down a hallway, turned right, turned left, then kept going straight. I kept walking, never stopping, until I heard him ask, "Rima-chan…do you know where you're going?"

I paused, and then thought about it for awhile.

"Ne, Nagihiko, which way is your room?"

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**Nagihiko's Room **

I'm guessing that Rhythm, Temari, and Kusukusu are hiding from us, scared that we're going to come at them with forks and knives.

Pea-sized torture instruments for pea-sized people. Go figure.

"Let's see…If it's due in three weeks, we'll have to be done with that by then and this by that and blah…" he said thoughtfully. I landed on his bed with a plop, and ended up drowning him out.

"Oi, Rima-chan, didn't you hear me?" he asked irritably. "We need to get started now if we're going to be finished by the end of this week."

I shook my head unwillingly and rolled onto my side. "I'm tired," I said simply, as if that should explain everything. He rolled his eyes.

"It counts for thirty percent of your grade, so if you fail, you have to take summer school," he said with a smirk. "And I think we all know that science isn't your best subject." I leapt back up, and sat down next to him on the ground.

"…" I said nothing, and he laughed. I crossed my arms defiantly, and started glancing at the papers he had laid out. The rubric for the project, the materials, instructions, things like that.

And that's when I realized something…That was kinda crucial to the project.

"Nagihiko?" I asked. He glanced up at me. "Yeah?"

"…What's this project on?"

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**_The beginning of the story was unusual (You know, where it had all of the periods?) My first time doing it..._

_And I am never doing it again. It took so looooong. :)_

_My first Shugo Chara! fic, and truthfully, it's rather long...Well, longer than usual for me, ha ha! XD _

_Since it's my first, constructive criticism is appreciated, and welcomed! Please REVIEW._

_REVIEW._

_REVIEW AND TELL ME STUFF THAT I NEED TO DO. _

_...I sound like one of Rima's crazed fanboys. Crap. _

_Review for the weirdo? ;)_


	2. Day 1, Part 2: Google Pacman

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Disclaimer: No, sadly, I do NOT own Shugo Chara! because if I did, this wouldn't be in English, would it?  
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**********Nagihiko's Room**

He stared at me for awhile, looking stunned. I can't help it if I'm not a nerd like him.

"Na-gi-hi-ko," I said, enunciating each syllable. "What is the project on?"

He shook his head, and sighed as he glanced back at me. "Electricity. We have to create an electrical current," he said bluntly. "Including something like a light bulb or battery, and you have to create a report describing electrical currents, and type up how you made the electrical field."

I stared at him. "You're kidding," I said as I stared in despair at the rubric. "How long does the paper have to be?"

He shrugged. "No idea," he said heavily. I groaned. I was failing science, and if I didn't bring up my grade, I'd have to go to…

_Summer School._

I toyed with the corners of the pages as I glanced up thoughtfully at Girly Boy's face. His long, dark hair framed his pale face as he looked over the papers. He glared at them, with a slight crease between his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes at his concentration. As if he's the one who's on the verge of going to _summer school_. Somehow, I am pretty sure it's impossible for him to get anything lower than a 95.

Lucky.

He looked over at me, and raised an eyebrow. "What?" I snapped out of it, and rolled my eyes.

"N-nothing!" I retorted, furious that I had been caught staring. He looked at me for another minute, and then shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you can go research for the papers, and I'll start on the electrical field, alright?" he asked, looking amused at my expression.

Lucky jerk.

I nodded, stood up, grabbed a few papers and marched to his desk where his computer was. I started diligently taking notes as I typed in 'electrical currents' into Google. I glanced through the models of the currents, moving slower and slower, until I only lazily skimmed through the pages.

I lasted for about fifteen minutes, which, in fact, is about as much boredom as any sane person could take. I glanced back at Nagihiko. He was glancing at the back of a light bulb box/container/thing along with a few wires and cords. I wasn't sure if I should call back and call him a nerd, or if I should just go back to note taking.

I decided to be 'responsible' and keep taking notes. I nearly groaned out loud, however, things did not turn out as I, being a responsible person, had hoped. I glanced at the screen and saw at the edge, and ad. I stared at it curiously, and clicked on it.

I was brought to a Google page, except this one was decorated colorfully, its letters cleverly disguised into a game maze. Apparently, it was created for another one of Google's anniversaries.

Inside the game maze were different colored squid looking things, and…I squinted my eyes at the screen.

What were those…Fortune cookies? I stared at if for another minute, and almost clicked back to my other tab until I saw something different. In place of the 'I'm feeling Lucky' button was, 'Insert a Coin.'

I pressed the button, and the game maze flashed to life. All of a sudden, the squids began moving. I stared at the screen, confused. Was I supposed to be doing something? I glanced at the fortune cookie, absolutely lifeless on the screen.

A squid was getting closer to the fortune cookie, and I frowned. Maybe it was a video or something, I wasn't generally sure. However, on a hunch, I gently tapped an arrow key. The fortune cookie sprang to life and moved forward, and I smiled.

One thing that I was still confused on, however, was those stupid squids. Were they friends, was I supposed to eat them? That is, until the red one came closer, and I _melted._

The squid _melted_ my fortune cookie.

I glared at it, and if looks could kill, Nagihiko's laptop would be disintegrated, and so would that stupid squid thing.

It was going to pay.

I started the game up again, quickly starting to understand the objective of the game. I traveled through the dots, quickly, trying my best to avoid the stupid squids and to get to the larger, blinking dots. I swerved around a corner, with a light blue squid right behind me.

I glared at it furiously as I turned into an open space, only to face the red squid. They were teaming up on me!

I shrieked, "Darn it!" as I glared at my melting fortune cookie. Then I realized what I had done, and slapped a hand over my mouth.

Too late.

Nagihiko ran over, looking worried (either for my sanity, or, if a robber broke in, his sanity), and then paused and stared at the screen.

"Rima-chan…" he said slowly. He looked almost…_dangerous. _He had a smile on his face (you know, one of those really creepy ones) and his bangs covered his eyes.

"Are you playing _Pacman?"_ he asked. He seemed to be over his whole 'badboy' thing, and looked somewhat normal.

Then I frowned. "What the heck is Pacman?" I asked. "I'm playing this fortune cookie game," I said, gesturing at the screen. He stared at me again, and I grew uncomfortable under his stabbing glare. Of course, I didn't show it.

He pointed at the lives, and asked, "Rima-chan? What do you think this is?" I frowned.

"A fortune cookie," I said cautiously, staring at him for his reaction. He grinned, and started laughing. I glowered at him.

"What?" I asked, growing irritated. Admittedly, his laugh was infectious. It was loud, but almost calm, and I almost laughed with him.

_Almost._

He smirked. "Rima-chan, that isn't a fortune cookie…" he said. I said nothing, but I was slowly turning pink.

He smiled softly, and then leaned down and clicked the 'Insert Coin' button. I watched him play intently, his long dark hair in _my_ face.

"Oi, Nagihiko, get a haircut!" I complained as I took a few (large) strands of hair and put it over his shoulder. He ignored me, his dark amber eyes completely focused on the computer screen.

Does he ever relax? Ever? I turned back to the screen, and then I stared at the screen.

It was blinking, and a huge 'Pacman' (I say it's still a fortune cookie, Nagihiko can just shove it), was chasing a mini squid.

"You won?" I nearly shrieked. He grinned. "Pacman's easy," he scoffed, then turned and smirked at me.

I crossed my arms, and then pressed the button, and positioned my hand over the arrow keys. Quickly, the game began, and I started racing around, capturing the blinking dots of light.

However, suddenly, the 'Pacman' began moving sluggishly, and I frowned. Nagihiko stared at the screen intently. Starting to grow frustrated, and panicking since the squids were gaining speed, I tipped Girly Boy's laptop to the left, hoping it'd move faster.

Or at least give a signal to the freakin' laptop that it needs to go faster.

Nagihiko chuckled. "Rima-chan, I don't think that's going to work," he said with another small smirk.

It was so tempting to slap that smile right off his face. Oh so tempting.

Then, the 'Pacman' went into overdrive, and went hyper-fast. I turned around at Nagihiko and raised an eyebrow.

"You were saying, Girly Boy?"

He stared at the screen and shook his head. "Fine, whatever," he said, sounding mildly exasperated and amused at the same time. I smirked (ha, my turn!) and turned back to the computer. I grabbed a huge blinking dot, and the squids changed color, looking like they were about to barf.

Gross, right?

"Hurry, Rima-chan," Nagihiko cried out, "Eat them while you can!" I stared at him weirdly.

"I can't eat them!" I argued. "They'll melt me!" He raised an eyebrow at the word 'melt' but didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah, when they're colorful, they'll 'melt' you. When they're like this," he pointed at a squid on the screen, and continued, "You can eat them."

"Just watch out for the colorful o—"he started saying, but then froze after I got melted.

I stared at the screen, then turned and shrieked, "Nagihiko! You said I could eat them!"

"I said you have to _watch out_ for the colorful ones," he said defensively.

"Which ones? They're all colorful!" I retorted.

"The ones that are primary colors! You can eat the blue ones!" he said, still somewhat defensive.

"Nagihiko, _blue_ is a _color_. Even worse, blue is a _primary color_," I shot back. I smirked at him.

He said nothing, and was simply staring at the screen.

"Rima-chan…you're losing," he stated bluntly as he pointed at the screen. I turned, and realized that I had died twice already while I was talking to Nagihiko.

"Nagihiko…" I said dangerously, my eyes flashing. He backed away slightly, already losing his blunt attitude, and he looked creeped out. He smiled nervously.

I was on the verge of slapping him, until we heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Nagihiko-san? Rima-san?" Baaya-san entered the room, right before my hand met contact with his face.

We both smile innocently. An imperceptible sigh of relief came out of me, since she had come right before…Anyways, good thing I have wonderful self-control.

For the most part, at least.

Baaya-san smiled, and then said, "It's time for dinner," she said politely, and both of us nodded.

"Rhythm, Temari, unless you want to starve in this room, I suggest you come out now," Nagihiko called back into the room. I got so sucked into the game, I had forgotten that they were even there.

"Kusukusu, you too," I said sternly. Three guilty looking faces appeared behind the bed frame.

I walked down the stairs with Nagihiko, and Baaya-san led us into…The dining room.

I gaped at the size of it. Now that I think about it, everything in this house was 3x larger than my house. Not mention the fact that I am…vertically-challenged, this house made me feel like an ant.

A very vulnerable, very squishable ant.

I could barely imagine what Kusukusu felt like, since she was clinging onto my shirt like her life depended on it.

Nagihiko glanced down at me, and nearly burst out laughing at my face. I promptly closed my mouth, and tried to not turn bright red.

I didn't really succeed.

As soon as I walked into the dining room, a million smells hit me. The table was full of dishes, and each looked amazing.

"Hello, Mashiro-san." I turned and saw a beautiful woman, wearing a flowing purple kimono. She had long, dark hair, which was tied up elegantly. She smiled at me kindly.

"Pretty," Kusukusu whispered. I nodded my head slightly, to show that I agreed.

I bowed, and said, "Thank you for inviting me into your home." When I looked up, I saw Nagihiko's mom nodding, and then she said, "You look just like a doll, so beautiful."

I smiled, slightly embarrassed, while Nagihiko choked. He muttered, "If you knew what she was really like, you wouldn't say that."

I rolled my eyes, and we both sat down for dinner. Baaya-san quickly loaded my plate with fish, pork-chops, beef, cabbage, rice, noodles, lettuce, et cetera.

Of course, I appreciated the gesture, but…I was a 4 foot girl (Yes, I'm 4 feet, _not 3 feet,_ no matter what anybody says) with a smaller digestive system and an even smaller stomach. There was no way…No way that I could finish it all.

Apparently, I didn't have a choice. Baaya-san quickly loaded (and I mean it when I say _loaded_) food onto my plate, and it ended up being three-feet in the air. She smiled at me as she set down the plate in front of me.

Nagihiko's mother smiled at me kindly, and said, "You're beautiful, and incredibly small, so you need some more vitamins to get some more meat on your bones."

Personally, I wasn't quite sure if that was a compliment, or if it was just being nice…Or if she was saying I was abnormally tiny and skinny. As if I didn't know that already. But I, being the polite and kind kid that I am, sweetly said, "Thank you for the food, I really appreciate it!"

Nagihiko just sipped his tea, and rolled his eyes. I smirked, which nearly fell when I turned back to my food. I took my fork and daintily and neatly cut a piece of fish and ate it. My eyes widened in shock.

It was _delicious._ I quickly ate more bites. Who cares how much food she gave me? It was so amazing, I didn't care. However, I quickly controlled myself, slowing down my pace. Nagihiko chuckled, and I turned a light shade of pink.

Kusukusu also participated in the 'stuff yourself till you die' fest, stealing the remaining bits that I didn't eat myself.

I twirled my noodles around my fork and ate it, and time flew by as I ate the incredible dishes set out for us. Baaya-san and Nagihiko's mother smiled, and laughed lightly.

Sadly, in the end, I was correct in saying I couldn't finish it all. I was stuffed, and if I ate any more, my stomach would burst, and I'd blow up their lovely house.

I apologized, but both merely looked amused and quickly took a Tuperware box and loaded that up with food as well. I smiled gratefully, and I thanked them as both Nagihiko and me returned upstairs.

Kusukusu, Rhythm, and Temari came along, all smiling happily. "Did you have fun playing Pacman, Rima?" Rhythm asked innocently.

I turned around, and smiled sweetly. "Don't think I haven't forgotten what you said a few hours ago. This is strike two, and trust me, they do have pea-sized torture instruments for pea-sized people. They're called: knives and forks," I said evilly.

They all paled instantly, and they all ran off to hide. I smiled, with Nagihiko sweat-dropping behind me.

When we were finally upstairs, I walked over to the computer and turned it on. He gave me a look, and I smiled innocently.

"What?"

He shook his head. I'm betting he gave up on me a _long_ time ago. I set myself down in front of the computer and glared at it determinedly.

"You can be all hyped up on Pacman, but on a science project, you're willing to fail?" he asked, exasperated.

I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Swerving around corners, and dodging those annoying squids, I managed to capture a blinking dot. After a few more turns, the dot wore off, and the squids went back to their usual 'colorful' form.

"Watch out, they're back to normal," Nagihiko warned vaguely as he flipped through the project's rubric one more time.

"I'll be back," I said with finality, completely sucked into the game. Then I felt it. A stare that just _wouldn't go away._

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"D-did you just…quote…the Terminator?" he asked weirdly. I frowned.

"Who the heck is he?" I retorted as I kept going through the game. Nagihiko paused, shook his head, and just went back to business.

_One more_, I thought desperately. All of the squids were following me now, hot on my heels…er…Nevermind.

I finally captured it. Finally, finally! I nearly shrieked. That is, until I realized…

The game wasn't over yet. The squids were still chasing me. I noticed last minute and desperately turned another corner.

"What in the world?" I seethed as I kept making random turns. Nagihiko either a.) felt my dark aura seep into his room or b.) heard my voice threatening to kill something with a 5 feet- radius.

"Rima-chan, do I really need to tell you that no killing is allowed in this house?" he asked, mildly amused.

I rolled my eyes. "No, it's just I collected all of the freakin' blinking dots, but it won't let me _go_."

Nagihiko stared at the screen thoughtfully. Then he moved the mouse, and the cursor moved with it.

And underneath it…

Was that stupidly blinking dot.

* * *

**After Pacman**

I smiled happily as I sat down on Nagihiko's bed. He glanced at me, and rolled his eyes.

"You're that happy because you won Pacman?" he asked, somewhat incredulously.

I was offended. "Hey, I worked hard on that!" I gazed back at the computer screen thoughtfully.

"You know, Nagihiko, your computer is really luck that one of the squids weren't purple…Otherwise, you'd have a smashed laptop right now," I said lightly.

Nagihiko said nothing, but a light smirk was on his face. "What time is it?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Um, nearly eight o'clock," I replied as I glanced at my cell phone. "Oh, shoot, nearly eight?" I muttered, taking a double-take.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?" I shook my head.

"I just…have homework and stuff to do," I responded. He shrugged. "Fine, I'll walk you home."

I gave him a look. He gave me a look back. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"My dad would have a stroke if he saw me come home with the opposite gender," I said simply. "Haven't you heard of the possessiveness that comes with being a teenage girl's dad?"

He smirked. "Yes, well, I doubt that he'll have a problem with me walking you home," he replied, a sly smile dancing on his face.

"Rhythm, Temari, Kusukusu, I'm taking Rima home," he said as he left the door. All three charas flew out quickly behind us.

He then promptly dragged me out of his room, out of the house, out of the gates, and said a quick 'Bye, I'm taking her home' to Baaya-san and his mother. They both waved after us cheerfully.

Eventually, our pace slowed to a walk, and we walked in silence for a little while. I glanced up at the sky. Clouds gently shrouded the stars from my view, but I could see a few twinkling in the sky. The moon glowed brightly in the darkness of the night.

"Full moon," he said with a small smile. It was pretty, almost like a picture-perfect scene.

Except that there was a monster beside me.

"It's pretty, I suppose, but the moon is such a…a thief," I said, satisfied with the word.

I heard it, a light snicker (ahem, excuse me, three light snickers), and then he asked, "What?"

I glared at him. "The moon is a thief," I said, defending myself. "It jacks the sun's light, and claims it as its own. Sharing the credit without giving the credit."

Nagihiko gazed up at the moon thoughtfully. "I guess I never thought of it that way…"

We continued on in silence. "But, you know…" I looked at him, waiting (somewhat impatiently) for him to continue. "Maybe the moon wants to shine…But it can't. Because if the moon shines as bright as the sun, what will happen to the sun?"

"It'll…disappear?" I said with a slight frown. He nodded.

"I suppose…I never thought that way either," I said reluctantly. He smirked.

"Everybody can shine…But some people prefer to be in the shadows of somebody else's light, and to allow them to shine the brightest, like the moon and the sun," he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "What are you trying to do, give me a psychology lesson?" I asked with a stubborn frown.

"She's right Nagi, you sound like Dia," the three charas chorused as they appeared in our faces with wide grins on their faces, and Kusukusu giggling insanely.

"Hey, you started it," he said, the same light smile on his face as he held his hands up defensively. "Isn't that your house?"

"How…did you know?" I asked suspiciously. "Are you…possibly…a cross-dressing _stalker_?" I asked, horrified, without showing it.

"Ouch. Burn, Nagi, burn," Rhythm stated. He gave me a high five, and I smiled.

"Sure, sure, hate on me, but love my charas," he said, and then pushed the doorbell.

"Wait, what are you going to do about the me plus boy equals one dead dad?" I hissed.

"For somebody who makes fun of it so much, I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out," he responded breezily. With a quick (and girly) flip of his hair, he took a ponytail holder and put it up high on his head.

_Right in the nick of time_, I thought as I heard hurried steps coming to the door.

"Rima, is that you?" I heard the worried voice of my father. I rolled my golden eyes. The only thing that gets in the way of my father's work is the chance that I may be with a boy.

Or _boy_ as he so often says it.

My mother opened the door and smiled at me. She rolled her eyes at my father, who was still spazzing out behind her.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Mashiro," Nagihiko said politely, a kind smile on his face. My jaw nearly dropped.

Honestly? He would've been the _perfect_ girl, and even I would've fallen for it if I hadn't already known.

My father breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't help but let a smile crawl onto my face. My mother glanced over Nagihiko suspiciously, but then she smiled.

"Thank you for taking her home, um…?" she trailed off, glancing at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Hi-her name is Nadeshiko," I said smiling stiffly. My mother nodded and smiled at her.

"Thank you for taking her home, Nadeshiko-chan, and for allowing her to eat at your house," she added.

Nagihiko smiled easily, and said, "Oh no, it was no trouble at all." I rolled my eyes.

My dad was smiling happily, and dopily, in my opinion, perhaps due to the fact that I wasn't with a boy.

"I am so glad that Rima has such a wonderful friend," he said, the same smile on his face.

Then, his face darkened. "You don't happen to have a brother, do you?" he asked innocently (it really looked creepy on my dad's face).

"Ookay, I think that's enough," my mother said with another smile as she pushed my father inside. "Thanks again, Nadeshiko-chan!"

Nagihiko gave another simple smile, and my mother ushered my dad back inside.

"Bye, Girly-boy," I said with a smirk.

He pursed his lips, and reverted back to his regular voice. "We really didn't get much done after you started playing Pacman," he said thoughtfully.

Crap.

"But, you did get at least three pages of notes before you started playing, right?" he asked suspiciously, as if seeing the growing dread appearing on my face.

Double crap.

"Oh…Well, um…No...?"

The door opened behind me again. I glanced up, utterly relieved. My mother looked out, surprised.

"Eh, Nadeshiko-chan, you're still here?" she asked with a smile. Curse Girly-boy and his girly looks.

"I'll give you a ride home, since it's already pretty late, and I won't take no for an answer!" she said as she grabbed her car keys and dragged us both to the car.

Triple crap.

* * *

_I know I said I wouldn't do the period thingy, but I just copied and pasted it, so I just did it anyways, ha ha! :)_

_Anyways, to the VERY MUCH APPRECIATED REVIEWERS:_

_Aquatwin: Yay, I'm glad you liked it! :D Ha ha, that's true, Nagihiko's very...Polite. I blame the influence of being a girl for half of his life. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! :)_

_Haruka Sumairu: ...Ha ha, purple bunnies and Narnia? Wow, yay! :D Ha ha, you're welcome, ha ha. I am very happy that you liked it, so whoot! :D Anyways, thanks for the very nice review! XD_

_Midnight Rose Petals: Aw thank you, I'm happy that you liked it, ha ha! :)_

_I just noticed...That I use 'ha ha' a bunch..._

_Meh, don't criticize me for it, 'kay? :P Anywhoos, thanks for all who read!_

_I like those who read, but I ADORE THOSE WHO REVIEW. _

_So review for me, 'kay?_

_Pwetty Pwease? Or else Yoru's gonna break into your house and steal all of your sardines. :3_


	3. Day 2: Imprisonment

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara!  
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**Science Class**

Nikaidou stared at his two students back there interestedly. Hissing under their breath, and for sure, he thought that Mashiro-san was thinking some ugly words. The air around them was, ah, less tense. At least, somewhat reduced, to sugar-coat it.

Fujisaki-san leaned back into his chair thoughtfully, and the blond girl next to him crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. The boy smirked in reply, but didn't say anything. That is, until both students turned and stared at me.

Mashiro-san's eyes took a dark turn, and she looked suspicious as her glare drove right into Nikaidou. The boy stared as well, although his face was more curious then…murderous.

Nikaidou gave them a nervous smile (which was returned by another glare, and an uncomfortable smile), and then he turned around, avoiding but still feeling their curious and suspicious eyes.

"I really need to work on my observing skills," he muttered under his breath. "So that I don't look like I stalk little kids."

**Science Class, Rima's POV**

I stared at Nikaidou-sensei with a frown, observing his guilty back. Nagihiko glanced at him too, but soon shrugged it off.

Returning to the previous conversation, before we felt our stalker teacher's stare, I whispered to him, "So what are we doing?"

He held up one finger, and mouthed, "One minute," and he then turned back and paid attention to something Miyuko-chan was saying.

"Nikaidou-sensei, is that kidnapper still around?" the girl asked nervously. Nikadou-sensei's usually cheerful, and somewhat annoying, face turned grim.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said, a dark tone underlining his words. "However, the good thing is, he has only _attempted,_ and nobody has disappeared."

The bell then rang, and the kids cheered and left Nikaidou-sensei on his own, leaving behind the gloomy mood that he had set in the classroom.

But, right before the bell had rung, I could've sworn that I had heard him say the word yet.

I shook my head, making an effort to clear it of the various depressing thoughts. Nagihiko came up to me and asked, "Well, shall we go?"

"Where to?" I asked, without even glancing up at him.

"I thought that we should go to the Guardian meeting, and then afterwards head to the library," he replied thoughtfully.

I nodded, and then froze suddenly. "Well," I said reluctantly. "If we go to the library, it can't be the one at school."

He glanced down at me curiously. "And why is that?"

I cringed. Of course he had to say that. Of course he did, because fate hates me, and it made me pair up with this cross-dressing stalker (I am quite sure he is in league with Nikaidou-sensei on stalking), and then they made me actually go to his house to work on the project.

I think I am destined to have absolute rotten luck. In truth, the reason wasn't so bad. It was just…contradictory, I suppose.

"Because," was my cool reply as I walked off towards the Royal Garden at a hastened speed. Nagihiko walked alongside me, but didn't probe. He shrugged it off, but in his eyes, I saw a wicked gleam.

And they say he's a gentleman.

**Royal Garden**

"Kusukusu?" I called as I entered. She had told me that Kiseki had another 'meeting' and had requested (ahem, my bad, demanded) her presence.

She giggled as she floated over to where I was. Rhythm also came over to talk to Nagihiko. Temari appeared as she floated out from a bush, holding a suspicious pair of binoculars.

"Rima!" she squealed as she did a cartwheel in the air. I smiled, but only briefly. Nagihiko grinned as he spoke to Rhythm and Temari, but Temari suddenly squealed, and dove into a bush.

Oh yeah, real lady-like. An edge of her purple and pink kimono stuck out of the bush.

"Nagi, Rima!" Amu said as she panted. I glanced towards her with an eyebrow raised. Tadase was catching his breath next to her.

"Did you not hear me yelling at you guys?" Amu asked as she walked up next to me. I shrugged.

"Sorry, Hotori-kun, Amu-chan," Nagihiko said with a small smile. I sighed.

"Yeah, sorry," I said as I glanced up at the glass-paned ceiling. Then, Amu's frown turned into a wicked smile.

"Ah, well, I suppose you guys were too busy doing _something_ to hear us," she said, trying to wiggle her eyebrows suggestively, and ended up looking like she was having a twitchy eye attack.

I did, however, turn crimson, much to my displeasure. Nagihiko, who was oblivious to the whole entire conversation, looked at me and Amu curiously. Tadase smiled, and laughed lightly, his sparkles floating through the air.

I rolled my eyes as Amu drooled. "Mhm, I think I should be the one saying that," I said with a smirk. Amu flushed, and I giggled.

She rolled her eyes, and we walked towards our seats. As we left, I glanced back and saw Rhythm and Kusukusu tugging on Temari, the shugo chara wailing, "My sleeve is stuck on a branch!" I giggled, but quickly pushed Amu forward so she wouldn't see anything.

Nagihiko and Tadase had 'escaped' from our talk and had gone to go get the tea. When they had finally served it, we waited patiently for the tell-tale signs of a hyperactive girl coming our way.

First comes the foot-steps slamming against the concrete, and then comes the…

"Ah, I am sorry!" she shrieked as she entered the garden. Her short pigtails flew around her, her big red ribbons giving her a very cutesy, very babyish effect.

Yuiki Yaya. She smiled cheerfully. "Sorry, sorry, I had to stay behind after class to help Sakura-chan on her math homework!"

We all froze, and stared at her. "Yaya…You're failing math," Amu said with a frown. "Right?"

Yaya pouted. "No, I'm doing _awesome _in math right now!" she said stubbornly. I smirked, but didn't say anything as Yaya defended herself.

Yaya eventually settled down in her seat next to Amu, but not before grabbing several cookies. And candies. And a few slices of cake.

And one grape. "Just to be healthy," she said brightly as she chewed away at the slice of cake. Amu smiled weakly, while I rolled my eyes as my friend chomped away.

I pity her dentist so, so much. Although, I am sure being her dentist must be profitable, seeing as how she gets so many cavities and all….

Tadase smiled at Yaya, but then quickly began the meeting with the usual, "X-egg activity is increasing, more problems are arising," et cetera.

Amu laid back into her chair, and started blowing at a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. Her shugo chara's sighed at her, saying, "This is not what is usually expected of a heroine."

I rolled my eyes, and Amu turned light pink. She smiled sheepishly. Tadase, oblivious to the silent conversation, kept rambling on. Yaya was simply not paying attention, and Nagihiko just chuckled at us.

Eventually, the meeting ended. I sighed as I pulled my bag from under my chair. I walked over to where Nagihiko was impatiently, tapping my foot. Amu and Yaya glanced over curiously.

"Project," I replied to their silent question. Amu nodded, but Yaya still looked curious.

"A project? On what?" she asked eagerly. I told her it was on electricity, and she groaned.

"Gross, electricity's boring," she said. Amu laughed. I looked over at her.

"Are you working on the project?" I asked her curiously. She nodded.

"Yeah, we're heading over to Tadase's house," she said, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. I shrugged.

"I'm sure a certain kitty-cat wouldn't be happy to hear that," I sang innocently as I passed by her. She flushed again, looking like a red balloon. Yaya giggled while Nagihiko grinned as he grabbed his bag. Before Amu could retort, Tadase came over with a smile alighting his face.

"Ready?" he asked her. Her face turned even redder, and I was surprised that her head hadn't blown up yet. She nodded, and both walked off into the sunset.

Just kidding. It wasn't that late yet. It was only about four o'clock, since all of us had to go somewhere today. Yaya grinned and said her good-byes, but quickly started grumbling about how she had to go take care of Tsubasa.

I rolled my eyes as I walked alongside Nagihiko. He glanced down at me.

"So, would you like to inform me on why you want to go to the public library?" he asked curiously.

Shoot. I had hoped he had forgotten. As I had said before, the reason wasn't bad. It was a good reason, in my opinion. However, as I had also said before, the reason was contradictory as well…

"No, not really," I responded coolly, as we kept walking. He shrugged, and then veered off in the direction of the school library. I glared at him.

"Girly-Boy!" I said with a pout, crossing my arms. He glanced back at me.

"Yeah?" he asked innocently. I growled.

"It's because," I paused, and then continued reluctantly. "It's because my fanboys like to stay around the school and follow me around," I said with pursed lips. Nagihiko froze.

He looked at me thoughtfully, and then glanced at the school library again. "Good idea," he muttered.

I stared at him suspiciously. I was sure he was going to make fun of me, seeing as how I took advantage of my fanboys.

"Why aren't you making fun of me?" I asked as we started walking towards the public library.

He glanced down at me, and smirked. But then he sighed, and with a dry smile, he said, "Let's just say you aren't the only person with fans."

I stopped still, utterly shocked.

"Oh, my gosh, please tell me girls are _not_ in love with a cross-dresser, because that is just…Just wrong on so many levels."

Rhythm cracked up, while Temari giggled girlishly. Kusukusu laughed as well.

He gave me a look, and then rolled his eyes. I smirked as I skipped ahead of him down the long, old brick trail leading to the library. Surrounding it were several trees, a few of their blossoms and leaves gently floating down from the wind. A soft breeze blew through the area, making my hair all annoying and in the way. I glanced to my side. Nagihiko wasn't doing much better.

He started whistling a song which carried through the wind. I glared at him and his whistling died down as my glaring intensified. It ended with on an awkward note as he stopped suddenly. I smiled innocently, and pointed.

"We're here."

**Public Library**

Kusukusu, Temari, and Rhythm flew off to go explore the librarian's office, and make it look like evil elves invaded her office. Which must've been much more fun then what I had to do.

I collapsed into a random chair and set my bag onto the table. Nagihiko smirked as he set his bookbag on the table as well, but then he dragged me off to go research.

"Why do I have to research?" I asked with a slight whine escaping into my words. He turned towards me, and sparkles flew through the air. Copy-cat, that was totally Tadase's look.

"Because _somebody_ didn't take notes while playing _Google Pacman_," he said breezily as he continued to drag me through the library. I crossed my arms as I got carried/dragged towards the computers. That is, until I saw something.

"Aw shoot," I muttered. I stood up straight, and then took Nagihiko by his collar and hauled him over to some nearby bookshelves. I peeked through the books cautiously, and muttered a rather rude word under my breath.

"Rima-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned, most likely with my sanity. I pointed through the books at the group of boys by the computers.

"Those boys are a part of my fanclub," I whispered back hurriedly, spying on them. I swear, without even trying, they manage to track me down. Quite frankly, it was flattering and frightening at the same time.

Nagihiko peeked through the tiny cracks of the books as well. He nodded, and sighed. "Well, I suppose we'll have to use the research books," he said, his eyes gleaming. "We just have to avoid being seen," he added. He lugged me towards a dusty area, and I groaned out loud, only to be shushed by the skinny old librarian.

I started to look through the books, until I noticed the sudden absence of purple and annoyance. I glanced down, and saw Nagihiko crouching and looking through a small peephole created by the dusty, old bookshelves.

I crouched down next to him, also looking through to see who he was stalking now. What I saw though, surprised me. A massive group of girls were crowding around a table. They weren't too far from the computers. I heard vague, excited whispers, and I glanced back at Nagihiko who was frozen.

"_That,_" he said, pointing towards the group, "is my fanclub." I glimpsed the thing they were crowding around. A photo album. I shuddered. I didn't even want to know what pictures they had in there, but I was pretty sure I knew.

As we continued 'observing' them (I wouldn't call it spying, seeing as how they stalk us anyways), we were so concentrated, that we didn't even notice that stupid librarian come up behind us.

"Excuse me you two, but if you aren't going to check out books, then would you please leave?" she asked irritably.

Oh, shoot. Both group's heads whipped around and stared at us. Both soon had hearts in their eyes, and Nagihiko and I shared a look. This was not going to end well for us. Especially since the each of the groups soon had flames in their eyes as the girl's side turned towards me, and the boy's side turned towards Nagihiko.

The scary part? The boys were the ones shrieking.

Nagihiko and I sat down into our seat uncomfortably. The librarian, quickly satisfied by that fact that we had quickly shut up, had walked back to her comfortable, fan-free desk. I wish that I could say the same.

The two groups had soon seated themselves close to us, the girls near Nagihiko, and the boys near me. We shared a look. Nagihiko shook his head, and started flipping through reference book, looking up 'electrical fields'. He tapped me on the shoulder, and the boys glared at his hand. Nagihiko dropped his hand back to his side awkwardly. I sighed inwardly and rolled my eyes.

I glanced through my own reference book, although honestly, I wasn't paying attention to it at all. Nagihiko was already on his fifth book, while I was dutifully on my first. He got up, suddenly, most likely to go get some more books, until he glanced over my shoulder. So basically, I was sitting down while he was crouched next to me, and our faces were right next to each other.

The fangirls were practically strangling themselves. We heard them whisper-wailing, and Nagihiko quickly backed away from me. However, he did gesture for me to follow him to go get some more books. I rapidly followed him. As much as I hated him, I most certainly _wasn't_ going to be left alone with the fan groups.

That'd be a death sentence.

I felt like we were on _Mission Impossible_ as we walked through the library, not generally looking for books, but looking for a way _out._ The boys were at the entrance, and the girls were at the back exit. I felt like I was being kidnapped, although the feeling was pretty indirect.

"I hate stalker fanboys," I hissed. Nagihiko shrugged.

"They aren't exactly my favorite people either," he muttered back. "Mostly because they look like they're about to murder me."

I smiled innocently. "That, is not my fault, although, it may be a benefit…"

He gave me a look, which I returned with another innocent look. We froze as we felt a hard stare. We turned and saw the fangirls watching our innocent exchange suspiciously.

I shook my head. "Well, guess what? You aren't the only one with rotten luck, seeing as how your fangirls have the sudden urge to push me off a cliff."

He smiled dryly. I rolled my eyes back at him. And then he laughed lightly, and as if a magical breeze had come through the library, it carried the sound all the way back to the fangirls and the fanboys.

Both groups' eyes narrowed dangerously, and Nagihiko's laughter was soon stifled. I couldn't help it, what with the awkward face he was making. I giggled, which only attracted the groups more.

"Rima-sama!" the boys cried out.

"Nagihiko-sama!" the girls cried out.

I never did find it necessary for them to add the '-sama' on the end, but they did it anyways.

Nagihiko smiled weakly, while I just crossed my arms and forced a small smile. Both groups swooned loudly. Stupid librarian, you'd think she would've kicked them out by now.

Nagihiko gestured towards me, and said kindly, "If it's alright, I would like to try researching for my project for Ri-Mashiro-san."

The boys' eyes twitched, and the girls were biting down on their handkerchiefs. Nagihiko promptly took me away to our table.

We quickly crouched down next to each other. "Seriously, I get trapped inside of a flippin' library?" I hissed.

He shrugged. "I thought they'd be at the school library," he whispered back. I glanced back at the doors desperately.

"Since they're here, we could always go to the school library," he mused quietly. That's when I started to tap him furiously, trying to get his attention.

"They're huddling," I muttered suspiciously. He turned, and watched the massive group of students. Fire was in their eyes, flaming dangerously. Personally, I thought it was pretty creepy.

We watched them as they separated, the girls off to the bookshelves and the boys to the computers. Reluctantly, Nagihiko and I resumed working again too. Well, more like Nagihiko did. I still sat there, and began flipping through a gag manga.

I stood up, and sighed as I walked away from him. Nagihiko glanced up, and raised an eyebrow as a silent question.

"I recommend you don't follow me," I answered. "I'm using the restroom, unless of course…" I trailed off, and he quickly filled in the blank spaces.

"No," he said as he quickly started reading again. I smirked as I walked off to the bathroom.

After washing my hands, I was leaving the restroom when I was mobbed. By a bunch of fangirls. I really should've yelled something, like "Help, I'm being mugged!"

I doubt it would've worked though, seeing as how we're in a library…

The girls smiled cheerfully, while cooing, "Don't worry, Mashiro-san, we won't hurt you!"

They took my along, not even letting me find a way out of their barrier. Eventually, we came to a closet. The girls who were holding onto me were apologizing profusely, saying over and over, "Sorry, but we must!" before dramatically throwing me into the supply closet.

"We're sorry, but this is for our Nagihiko-sama!" they cried out. "Surely you understand that we are only doing this, for it is just for our love."

Before I could even reply, they shut the door on me, and locked it. Then, the door opened again, and one of the girls set down a plate of onigiri. She smiled at me politely, and said, "In case you get hungry," and then locked the door again.

They may be crazed fangirls, but they were rather nice, if I ignored the fact that I was just locked in a supply closet.

I frowned as I glanced around. Windowless too. Looking up at the ceiling, I saw a faint shape above me. A lightbulb. I pulled on the switch hanging down, and the light came on and bathed me in a warm light. I huddled down in a corner. Looking around me, I realized just how dusty this room was. Boxes upon boxes were in here. I suppose the librarian was lazy as well…

Then I heard it. Loud footsteps and quick apologizes right outside of the door. Then, the door opened again, and somebody was pushed inside. "Sorry!"

The door was closed, and then quickly locked. I glanced up at the form next to me.

"Nagihiko?"

Said form jumped as I said the name. He turned and looked at me in my dark corner.

"Rima-chan, you got pushed inside here too?" he asked with an amused smile. I shrugged.

"Sadly," I replied with pursed lips. "At least I got onigiri though," I said as I held up the platter. He looked mildly surprised, but he didn't comment.

He leaned back against the wall behind him, and he closed his eyes. I glanced over at him curiously, but he just remained like that, not moving much. He breathed peacefully, and he looked like he had fallen asleep. Then, his eyes opened and he looked over at me.

"Something wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head, and quickly turned away and started messing with the corner flap of a box to hide my flushing face.

"What time is it?" I asked curiously. He glanced at his watch.

"Five-thirty," he replied as he took an onigiri. I nodded. My mom wasn't supposed to pick me up for another hour or so, so if we got out by then, it'd be fine.

Actually, I'd better get out of this closet in the next fifteen minutes, or else I'd start hyperventilating. Not that I'd let him know that or anything.

We sat in silence for a little while. My guess was that Nagihiko was thinking or something, seeing as how he wasn't being annoying yet.

"Neh, Rima-chan," Nagihiko said quietly. I looked over at him.

"Yes?"

"I've noticed something," he said thoughtfully as he glanced up at the ceiling. "You act different around certain people. Around the guardians, you seem peaceful. Even around people you don't know, you seem kinder, more understanding, but still…Guarded, I suppose."

I stared at him.

"Are…You really a stalker?" I asked suspiciously. He rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Rima-chan, I'm being serious here, and you just scorned my incredible revelation!" he said with a pout.

"Some incredible revelation you have," I grumbled.

"I dunno…It just seems like you have so many different personalities. Quiet, indifferent, guarded, peaceful…Isn't it hard, keeping up with all of them? How do you… How do you ever remember the real you?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged, dragging my toe through the dust and creating patterns within it.

"It's not hard…Since I never knew who I was in the first place." I had meant to say it confidently and coolly, like it was no big deal, but instead, it came out as a soft whisper, which hung in the air.

Nagihiko was silent. Then he turned and smiled.

"I swear, you better not turn into a therapist or something," I muttered as I watched him skeptically.

His eyes turned wide and innocent. "Fine, fine. I wasn't going to say anything like that, but…" he paused, but then continued, "It's okay to not know who you are. You just need to find out."

I said nothing. This topic was slightly uncomfortable for me, but I mumbled a quiet, "Thanks."

He grinned, but then stood up and stretched. I reached forward and grabbed an onigiri. I frowned.

"That reminds me, I really need to make a snack for me and Kusukusu—"I stopped mid-sentence.

Nagihiko turned towards me curiously. "What?"

"We left…Kusukusu, Rhythm, and Temari outside…alone, and they don't know where we are," I hissed at him. He froze.

"Shoot."

I nodded grimly. Nagihiko slid down onto the floor again. Either a.) they flipped out and started to search everywhere _but_ inside the library or b.) they flipped out and flew off to go find Amu and the others to tell them we got kidnapped or something.

Nagihiko, thinking along the same lines looked over at me. "Well, they're smarter than that, right?" he asked, his tone slightly hopeful. I met his eyes.

And then we sighed and said, "Yeah, we're totally screwed."

I looked around at the boxes again. Various shapes and sizes surrounded us, all of them covered in dust.

"Neh, Nagihiko, do you have a bobby-pin?" I asked him.

He gave me a look. "Rima-chan, just because I am Nadeshiko sometimes doesn't mean I carry around accessories," he said defensively.

I smiled innocently. "That wasn't what I implied at all!" I protested. "It was just a question."

Nagihiko glanced at the boxes. "I guess we'll have to find something in there."

I groaned as I got up. Manual labor was the absolute worst. I started to pull down boxes, looking through each one.

"They're all full of these old, dusty books," I said, making a face. Nagihiko frowned as he opened each box, only to be greeted by more worn covers.

I pulled down a box on top of another pile of boxes, and slipped backwards on a book. I felt myself falling, and I flailed my arms in an effort to get back up, which was sadly failing. I closed my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the impact of either a hard floor, or a few boxes crumpling under my weight. To my surprise, I felt neither. I fell into something soft and warm, and long strands floated right above my face. What turned out to be soft and warm was Nagihiko's arms, and I ended up being face to face with him. His eyes were concerned as he held me, and then I realized something.

He was _holding_ me. I squeaked and flew up out of his hands, but ended up slipping on another book. I cursed under my breath, but Nagihiko's arms curled around my waist as I fell forward.

Stupid cross-dresser, why didn't he just let me fall? I made a face, but I could feel my face turning warm, and I knew for sure that it was probably bright red. Nagihiko let go of me fast, and when I turned around, his face was a light pink. He noticed my gaze and smiled at me.

"Rima-chan, you really need to look out for these books on the ground," he scolded. "We wouldn't want you to fall again," he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes, and pouted, and, no doubt about it, I was still a bright scarlet.

After inspecting all of the boxes, we still hadn't found anything that could help us break out of the stupid closet. I collapsed on the floor and Nagihiko slid down and sat next to me. An awkward silence filled the air.

"This is stupid," I muttered. He smirked, and nodded his agreement. I started tapping my fingers on the floor, and Nagihiko started whistling, both of us trying to fill the silence in the confined space of a supply closet.

I had gotten so used to her shushing us, that I was surprised when the librarian didn't show up to tell us to shut up.

Eventually, we both stopped and I stared at the wall.

"What time is it now?" I groaned, sincerely bored. He glanced at his watch again.

"Six-fifteen," he replied. I pursed my lips. I needed to get out in the next fifteen minutes. I was considering that we should start pounding on the door, but the fan groups would most likely make an excuse, or the librarian would just trap us in here longer for 'disturbing the other people.'

Then I heard it. Spazzing, squeaky voices. Then deeper, still slightly spazzing voices, and a lot of shushing, and then a squeal pierced the air. The sound of that skinny old librarian squealing over Tadase…was disturbing and weird.

"So they went with b.), huh?" I said with a sigh. Nagihiko smirked.

"Well, at least it was before six-thirty," he suggested. I shrugged. That was true. I heard them shouting our names and I chucked a book at the door, a bit too lazy to move. Nagihiko chuckled nervously, but he didn't move either.

I heard quick footsteps, and then the door burst open with a shouted, "Tsukiyomi Ikuto!"

The three other guardians stared at us sitting on the ground, both of us probably all dusty and dirty. Nagihiko smiled wryly.

"Nice to see you too."

**Outside of the Library**

"You're kidding," Amu deadpanned as she stared at me as I tried to brush off the excess dust from my uniform. Kusukusu had finally finished wailing, and had unclenched herself from my skirt. For the past ten minutes, she had been bawling, saying, "Kusukusu was so worried!"

I smiled gently and patted her on the head. Amu was still stunned, and looked wary of the vast amount of fan groups. My fanboys and Nagihiko's fangirls, all in one place, being scolded by Yaya and Tadase.

Amu looked freaked out. "I didn't think they'd actually go to such desperate measures," she muttered. "Now that's obsessive." I nodded my head firmly in agreement.

Both groups came up to Nagihiko and me, apologizing profusely. The girls came to me, while the boys went to Nagihiko.

"Sorry, Mashiro-san. Maybe if we had planned better, then we would've gained the love of our Nagihiko-sama!" the leader said, sparkles in her eyes. The others nodded in agreement, all of them saying sorry in the end, but still proclaiming their 'vast love' for Nagihiko.

I glanced over at him. Obviously, his conversations hadn't gone that well either, since we were both waving good-bye to the groups rather awkwardly.

I sighed along with Nagihiko, both of us relieved to finally get rid of them. Amu and Yaya looked over at us, both grinning diabolically. Apparently, Amu had told Yaya that I had been trapped inside a closet with Nagihiko for about an hour. I turned light pink, and Nagihiko looked surprised, and curious.

Tadase came over to us and sighed, relieved. "I'm happy that you guys are safe," he said kindly, and he smiled. Amu swooned. I snapped my hands, and said, "Take her away Tadase, before she wakes up from her dream!"

She pouted at me, and I smiled innocently. Yaya sighed, saying, "Yaya has to go now, since Yaya has to go eat dinner."

The three of them waved good-bye and went right out the doors of the library, with Amu flushing a deep red with Tadase smiling brightly. Yaya had somehow found a lollipop and was now sucking on that happily.

I walked outside with Nagihiko and sat down on the steps. Nagihiko also sat down next to me, his hair blowing gently in the wind.

"That was…fun," he said with a dry smile. I crossed my arms and huffed.

"If you can call being chased by stalkers and locked in a closet with a cross-dresser 'fun', then yeah, sure," I grumbled. Kusukusu laughed, her regular, cheerful mood restored.

Temari, however, still didn't seem to be completely…sound. As soon as we had gotten out of the closet, Temari shot towards Nagihiko, wailing, "Where were you? I was so…so worried!"

Rhythm grinned contentedly as he floated around us. Nagihiko smiled peacefully and closed his eyes.

"How are you getting home?" I asked curiously. He opened an eye, and smiled.

"Worried?" he asked teasingly. I rolled my eyes.

"You wish," I mumbled. He grinned, but then shrugged as an answer to my question.

"I'll probably just walk," he replied eventually. I nodded. Then I saw a black car drive up to the curb of the library. I walked over to it, and Nagihiko just stayed in his position at the steps. He waved good-bye as I walked away.

"Rima?" I looked up as the window rolled down to reveal my mom's face. She looked surprised as she pointed over at Nagihiko.

"That boy looks a lot like Nadeshiko-chan. Is that her brother?" she asked. I froze. Crap.

"Erm, yeah, that's her twin brother, Nagihiko," I said nervously, fiddling with my skirt edge. My mom's eyes turned concerned.

"Does he need a ride home?" she asked. Without even waiting for an answer, she called out to Nagihiko.

"Do you need a ride?" Nagihiko looked up, startled. He had brought out a massive book, covering his face with it, and I knew he was trying to hide himself from my mother so she wouldn't notice that he wasn't Nadeshiko. He lowered it guiltily. He started to shake his head, but I made a big x with my arms. If you turned down my mom, she'd find a way to make up for it. Usually in a weird and embarrassing way too.

Nagihiko shrugged and smiled sheepishly, and walked over to the car. He smiled gratefully and said thank you to my mom. She just nodded, and we both filed into the car.

"So, are you guys partners or something?" she asked as she drove away from the library. I nodded.

"For that project on electricity," I told her. She nodded understandingly.

"Did you guys get a lot of stuff done?"

I paused, and I met Nagihiko's gaze. He nodded.

"Yeah, lots," I lied. I then turned and faced the window, practically glaring out of it.

Then, very quietly, I muttered, "I am never going back to the public library ever again." And, in the reflection from my mirror, I saw a very distinctive smile on the cross-dresser sitting next to me.

* * *

_I update this story so much faster than my other ones! D: That's good for this one, but bad for the others... :)_

_This chapter was fun~ I like writing about obsessive fangirls and fanboys, which sounds...weird. ;) And then there was that super cliche moment with them in a closet... D: _

_I don't know... :) Still...It was just fun, ha ha! XD_

_OMG! *Jumps up and down like a hyper 5 year old* I got more reviews this time! :D_

_DinosaursgoRawr101: Thanks! I'm glad that you liked it! :D _

_Haruka Sumairu: Lol, yeah, pacman! XD Yeah, sadly. Rima's in denial. :( Puh-lease, I have read your stories, and they are awesome. ;) Mine are like BLEARGH compared to yours. X3_

_Riri-chi: Thank you for your generous donation, Yoru greatly appreciates it. ;) Yay, glad that you liked it! X3_

_Goose-chan: It still happens at my school, ha ha! :D Aw, thank you! I'm happy that you liked it, and thanks for the very nice review. ;)_

_Rikan Shirokura the Shugotard: D: Oh no! (Just look up Google Pacman, and it'll come up. ;) Yes, Rima fails with computers, ha ha! XD Thanks for reviewing!_

_Midnight Rose Petals: Thanks! :D_

_:) I was so happy when I read these reviews, I like jumped for joy, and my mom comes by and is like, "...I don't want to know." D:_

_So...For those of you who just read and didn't review...Well...I can't exactly force you to review my stories...Honestly, that'd be stalkerish and creepy. _

_Well, whatever, ha ha! XD I hope you guys liked it, and thanks for reading~_

_REVIEW THOUGH. LIKE SERIOUSLY. ;)_

_Pwetty pwease? Or else Ami will come and give you her BAMBI EYES. Submit to the power of a 3-year old, SUBMIT!_


	4. Day 3: Rima's House

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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I glared down at the worksheet(s) that I had received. Supposedly, I was only supposed to have one worksheet for homework, but since I decided no to do my work in class…

Well, let's just say I had more homework than usual. Besides that fact, science just kept dragging on and on. What a pain. Presently, we were (supposed) to be doing a worksheet relaying the currents of electricity and how various things affected how strong the current was.

See? I listen in class. The problem is _applying_ myself to do work. Kusukusu had ditched me and had headed to a so-called 'meeting' in the Royal Garden. I glanced at the…the _thing_ beside me. As usual, he had finished his work in five minutes, and was now presently studying a massive book. I shuddered and cursed my destiny, seeing as how the Fates wish for me to be next to him in _every single class._

Nagihiko was reading intensely, although his dark hair seemed to be a problem. Constantly getting in his face, he was constantly tucking and flicking it back over his shoulder. Flick, flick, flick and tuck, tuck, tuck. I was about to take some kiddy scissors and give him a long over-due haircut.

"Oi, Nagihiko, stop playing with your girly hair," I hissed at him. He glanced over and raised an eyebrow, and smirked (evilly, in my opinion).

"Does it bother you, Rima-chan?" he asked, widening his eyes, making him look as innocent as a tiny puppy. Darn.

"Yes," I retorted frostily, crossing my arms. "So stop."

"If you say please, maybe I will."

"Pretty please?" I said in a syrupy tone, although my voice was dripping with sarcasm. He rolled his eyes, and returned to his book. A few minutes later, I heard a small sigh, and glanced over to see him slam the book shut as his eyebrows furrowed.

"You're done with that?" I whispered incredulously. He glanced up in surprise.

"Yeah, it wasn't that long…" he whispered back. I stared at him. Wasn't long? It was a thousand pages! I always knew he was a nerd. A popular nerd, maybe, but a nerd nevertheless.

"You read it faster than me finishing my worksheets," I said in a hushed tone. He snorted.

"You don't do work period, Rima-chan," he said with a grin. "It's easy to beat you." I glowered at him.

"Mashiro-san, Fujisaki-san, am I interrupting something?" Nikaidou-sensei asked, looking pretty irritated.

"No," I said in a bored tone. Nagihiko shrugged, a slightly nervous look on his face. I glanced around and saw why. Boys were on fire all around him, and in the background, there were voices saying, "Fujisaki…"

I didn't exactly escape from it either. The girls were biting on their handkerchiefs, and were shrieking, "Nagihiko-sama!"

Amu smirked, while Tadase just looked slightly amused. I crossed my arms as the noise died down. That is, until I noticed Nikaidou-sensei watching Nagihiko and me. My eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I nudged Girly-Boy and pointed at Nikaidou-sensei. He noticed and looked away, quickly facing the opposite wall.

"Seriously, Girly-Boy, are you teaming up with him on stalking me?" I complained. Nagihiko just rolled his eyes.

**Nikaidou-sensei**

Nikaidou-sensei heard Mashiro-san say something about stalking, and he paled. He wasn't stalking them or anything, it was…meddling. Very gentle nudges, just so that they don't kill each other in his classroom he told himself.

Even so, I could tell Mashiro-san was still suspicious, and the fact that he had been staring yesterday definitely wasn't helping anything. Unlike Mashiro-san, Fujisaki-san seemed more curious than 'let's stab him until he tells.'

"I'm screwed. A three-foot girl is about to kill me," Nikaidou-sensei muttered, burying his head in his hands.

**Rima's POV**

Watching Nikaidou-sensei was certainly interesting. His expressions went from guilt, to thoughtful, and then to 'Oh crap, I'm about to be killed.' Nikaidou-sensei sighed and got up from his seat, stood up, and then faced the class.

"Okay, closing announcements," he announced to the class. "A soccer game is being held later today, so please come and support your team! Also, please be careful while walking home, and try not to do it alone please!"

Whispers erupted throughout the classroom, each face looking very worried.

"Is it because of the kidnapper?"

"Eh, really? I'm scared!"

I shrugged uncomfortably. Then I frowned and said thoughtfully, "I bet Nikaidou-sensei's the kidnapper."

Nagihiko chuckled, and various glares were shot directly at us from all around the room. The intense glares were quickly interrupted by the loud ringing of the school bell. Both of us sighed in rather obvious relief. Both of us grabbed out things and bolted out of the classroom, leaving Tadase and Amu alone, on orders of Yaya. We probably would have done it anyways, just so we wouldn't have to hear Amu start stuttering.

On the tread towards the Royal Garden, my stomach rumbled. I blushed, frowning down at my tummy. Nagihiko raised an eyebrow inquiringly, smirking.

"I'm hungry!" I said defensively. He laughed at my expression and tossed me a packet of chips. I took it.

"Stupid cross-dresser," I muttered. He frowned.

"I could always take back that bag of chips," he retorted, holding out his hand. I smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Nagihiko," I said politely. He nodded sarcastically.

"Yeah, you're welcome Rima-chan," he said, rolling his eyes as we entered the Royal Garden. The glass panes were clear and the glare of the sunlight caught onto it. Inside, lush ferns and ficu…ficue…ficoses?

…Inside, lush ferns and trees, along with colorful flowers leaned towards the pure sunlight. I opened the bags of chips as we both sat down. Funny how fate keeps making me meet up with him.

I wrinkled my nose. "Ew, salt-and-vinegar chips," I said in disgust. Nagihiko frowned.

"Hey, I like that kind. Besides, you eat what you get," he retorted, crossing his arms. I pouted, and suffered through one chip.

"Ugh," I said, sticking my tongue out. "It's sour!"

"Chips can't be sour," Nagihiko replied, casually grabbing a chip. Quite frankly, I wasn't going to complain, and stuck the chip bag out.

"I feel like a hobo, who has to share some suckish bag of chips," I grumbled, chewing unhappily onto my chip. Nagihiko rolled his eyes.

Amu and Tadase walked in, and I saw Yaya spying through the trees, watching Amu stuttering, her face beet red. I could've sworn that I had seen a picture snap go off, and Yaya snickered deviously as she walked over to us.

"Yaya-chan?" Nagihiko said, sweat dropping. Yaya glanced up.

"Oh, I'm trading in these pictures for candy," Yaya said with a wink. I face-palmed. Of course she would do that.

Tadase and Amu both came over, both completely oblivious to our conversation. Amu sat down, trying to lower her color from red to at least light pink. She was failing horribly. Instead, she turned towards me, frowning.

"Rima, Nagi, why didn't you wait for us?" she asked curiously, her face slowly turning lighter. I shrugged.

"Didn't want to interrupt your wonderful mood," I said sweetly, raising an eyebrow as she flushed darker. Nagihiko chuckled. Tadase was looking down at his papers, sipping tea, while Yaya was counting how many pictures she had, and trying to count how many pieces of candy she would get for each picture (and failing, may I add. Yaya isn't any better at math than I am).

I leaned on my arm as Tadase talked about standard Guardian business. That is, until he brought up the subject of the kidnapper creeping around trying to get some kids.

"I don't think it's a ploy for Easter, but we still need to keep on the lookout," Tadase said seriously. We all nodded. Seeing as how we were the Guardians, it was our job to keep all of the students safe. On that happy note, the meeting ended.

Yaya skipped home, still squealing about the tons of candy she'd get tomorrow. I shuddered. I was worried for the teachers who will have Yaya tomorrow, that is, if they survive her sugar rush. Tadase and Amu smiled and set off for the library.

"Watch out for fanboys and fangirls!" I called after them.

"You're not helping Rima!" Amu wailed. I smiled, and they both left, and I am pretty sure I saw a couple of fangirls and fanboys creeping through the woods.

"Ne, Rima-chan, we can't go to my house, since my mother and Baaya-san are having guests over today. Do you mind if we head over to your house?" he asked as he grabbed his bag. I bit my lip. Kusukusu had finally returned, and when she heard that question, she paled.

"I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind, but my dad…" I trailed off, letting him finish what I started.

Nagihiko paled. "Ah yes, your father does enjoy threatening boys, doesn't he?" Rhythm shuddered, while Temari smiled amusedly.

I shrugged. "He hates any person of the opposite gender that gets anywhere near me, that is, besides him, of course."

"Nice Dad you got there, Rima-chan."

"This coming from you and your mother that forced you to cross-dress for most of your life? I don't even want to hear it."

Nagihiko grimaced, and I smiled triumphantly. We started walking towards my house, both of us kind of quiet. The three charas had ditched us, Kusukusu leading the way towards my house.

"My dad shouldn't be home for another few hours," I said doubtfully. "So we should be fine for awhile. I texted my mom and told her we were heading over."

Under my breath, I muttered, "And I think I heard her squeal all the way from there."

Nagihiko looked up. "Did you say something?"

"Nope," I retorted. "Anyways," I mumbled. "My mom wants you to stay for…dinner."

"Erm, sure, if it's not too much trouble," he replied, and he laughed breezily. It was windy today, and my hair kept getting in my way. I tucked it back, annoyed.

"Oh sure, you can tuck back your hair, but I can't?" Nagihiko said sarcastically. I glared at him, already irritated. He whistled a tune innocently, turning away from me to hide his smirking face.

"Can I stuff you down that sewer?" I asked him crossly, pointing in the said sewer's direction. I was seriously considering doing it.

"You could, Rima-chan, and then if you imprisoned me inside, that would be called _'being taken hostage'_, which could get you arrested," he replied with a small and breezy smile.

"It would be worth it if the police didn't find you after I got arrested," I responded thoughtfully. He pouted.

"That hurts, Rima-chan," he said in a hurt tone. I gave him a look.

"You know I don't care Nagihiko," I said snidely. He just sighed and smiled lightly.

"Although, I am pretty sure that a person wouldn't want to be taken hostage in a sewer," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe a closet or something."

I glared at him. "Would you really want to relive that experience?" I asked, referring to our trip to the library yesterday.

He shuddered. "On second thought, a sewer sounds amazingly cozy," he said wryly. I nodded in agreement.

We walked through the door, and I called out, saying, "Mom, I'm home!"

"Okay, dinner will be another hour!" I heard her cry back, giggling happily, something along the lines of, "Oh, a boyfriend already!"

I turned pink and turned away from Nagihiko, who was just looking around my house curiously.

"I know it's not as big as your house or anything, but still, you don't need to compare," I told him, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently as I waited for him to hurry up. He shrugged.

"I wasn't doing that in the first place," he replied. "You're house is nice. Mine is practically like a maze, and it's easy for tiny people to get lost," he said with a grin. I rolled my eyes as I took his arm and dragged him up the stairs into my room. I landed on my bed with a quiet _plop_ and stayed there. Nagihiko just gazed around thoughtfully.

"Now you really look like a stalker," I remarked. He just sat down and took stuff out, smiling amusedly. He took out a purple folder ("How biased," I muttered, which he just replied with a roll of his eyes) and a few other items for the electrical field.

"We haven't really gotten much done," Nagihiko said doubtfully. "Seeing as how we played Google Pacman one day," he said shooting me a look, which I returned with a sweet and syrupy smile, and he continued, "and we were taken hostage inside a closet the next day."

I shrugged, and he pushed a textbook at me. "So that's why we're actually going to _do_ work today," he continued. "Which means no computer for you," he added, crossing his arms, blocking the way. Darn it.

I glared down at the book, and didn't understand half of it. Static electricity, electrical fields, electrical currents…I sighed heavily. I suppose this is why I should pay attention in science, and for that matter, the rest of my classes as well…

I glanced down at the floor (I completely rejected his request of sitting on my bed) where Nagihiko was, also studying electrical fields and stuff, and connecting blue and red wires. I hope he gets electrocuted while doing it.

That's when I thought I heard something, and I yelled, "What?" I didn't get a response back, and so I shrugged, and continued to _try_ to read the book. After about fifteen minutes, my guilt evaporated about not knowing this stuff, and boredom replaced it.

"Nagihiko, I'm bored," I told him lazily. He sighed and put down his things and stretched.

"Me too," he replied. "But we still need to complete the essay, and this, and that, and stuff, and…"

I started drowning him out, like I often do when Tadase starts talking about boring school events. I glanced at the clock. About six-thirty. Didn't Mom say dinner would be ready soon?

I got up and went towards the door. Nagihiko sighed exasperatedly, but followed me out. I walked down the stairs and I saw that a few things were still out and covered, so that they wouldn't get cold. That's when I saw it. A note, just laying there on the counter and I saw that it was from my mom.

I picked it up and read from it, and paled instantly. "Oh crap."

"What?" Nagihiko asked as he picked up the note. That's when he dropped it right after reading it. The note fluttered to the floor, looking all innocent, even though the words weren't.

_To Rima and Nagihiko-kun,_

_I'm off to the grocery store, since I forgot to pick up a few things. Afterwards, my boss wants me to stop by for a bit for something, so I should be home in a few hours. Since it's dark, and that kidnapper is lurking around, Papa is coming home early to look after you two! See you soon!_

_Love, _

_Rima's mother_

"You're dad?" he muttered. I nodded stiffly, and started to push him back upstairs. "He can't see you _at all_, or else you really_ will_ be taken hostage in a sewer."

"This again?" Nagihiko complained. That's when we both heard the slam of a car door. We turned, the look of doom etched onto our faces. Oh crap.

My possessive father was home.

I pushed Nagihiko farther up the stairs, hissing after him, "Don't you _dare_ come downstairs unless you wish to be slaughtered, and then get thrown into the basement!"

"By your dad?" he whispered back, probably stunned that a father would go that far.

"By both of us," I retorted, and pushed him into the room. I heard the door open, and I heard loud footsteps as he walked into the kitchen.

"Rima? Mom says to just eat the stuff she already has done. She also said that you had a friend over…Who is it?" my dad called up the stairs.

"Uh, just a second Papa!" I yelled back. I looked at Nagihiko, panicky. He was wearing a _boy's school uniform_, and he looked like a guy. A girly guy (hence the name 'Girly-Boy'), but a boy nonetheless. I looked over him critically.

"Okay, you're going to turn into Nadeshiko, okay?" I told him. "Do you have a hair tie or something?"

He shook his head, his hair flying everywhere. "I left it at home, since I don't cross-dress anymore…"

I looked around hurriedly. I really didn't use hair ties all that much, and I didn't have time to look for one. So I just grabbed a hair band and stuck it onto his head. I looked at him satisfied, since the hair band made him look like a freakish girl. Besides that fact, it had a few flowers and bows, making him look more girl-like than guy-like.

I bit my lip. I couldn't lend him clothes; I was way shorter than him. I groaned and sighed. "We'll just have to make do with this," I told him. "Remember to talk girly and everything, okay?"

He nodded sarcastically. "I've been doing this for years, Rima-chan. I think I still know how to do it."

I ignored him and dragged him downstairs. "Papa, here she is!" My father looked up, and stopped still.

"Isn't that a boy?" he asked seriously. Not exactly helping the situation, he was holding a steak knife. Oh my, Nagihiko is screwed if his cover gets blown.

"Er, no?" I said with an innocent smile. He frowned.

"He's wearing a boy's uniform though!" he responded. "Er, or she's wearing a boy's uniform."

I thought fast, seeing as how my father's steak knife seemed to get steadily closer to Nagihiko's neck.

"She…She has a cross-dressing fetish!" I blurted out. Nagihiko stiffened, and shot me a dark glare.

"Eh he he, nice to see you again, Mashiro-san!" Nagihiko giggled girlishly. My father nodded, relieved that he was a 'girl'.

I laughed nervously, and my father sighed. "Alright, we should eat now…"

I nodded. "Ah, but Papa, me and Nagihiko still need to work on our project!" I said as sweetly as possible. Dad frowned.

"You called her," he said, pointing, "Nagihiko. I thought your name was Nadeshiko-chan, right?"

"Nagihiko is my twin brother," Nagihiko told him, smiling nervously. My dad's eyes darkened.

"Brother? Boy?" he sputtered in incoherent sentences. His grip on the steak knife tightened, if that was even possible.

"Oh, but Rima-chan doesn't like him, at all! He just looks a lot like me," Nagihiko said hastily, obviously panicking. I nodded. Got that right.

My dad nodded slowly. I smiled, and then started pushing Nagihiko towards the stairs, making him carry two plates loaded with food, giving my dad no chance to comment. My dad just shrugged, saying, "Alright, I need to type up a few forms anyways…"

I nodded. "Alright, you go do that Papa, we'll just go upstairs and do project stuff."

We continued up the stairs, Nagihiko skipping a step each time, me being too short to do so. We both sighed in relief as soon as I shut the door behind us.

"A cross dressing fetish? Really?" he asked me, crossing his arm and handing me my girly hair band.

"I panicked!" I retorted defensively. "Unless you wanted to be stabbed with a steak knife and stuffed into the attic, then fine, I could just go downstairs and tell him right now!"

"…I am pretty sure you said basement last time, and why do you keep bringing up me being taken hostage?" he asked. I glowered at him, exasperated.

"I hate you," I told him.

"Aw, I really feel the love in that comment," he said sarcastically as he picked at his food. Kusukusu, Rhythm, and Temari had suddenly appeared once the food had come out. Wonderful little things, aren't they? A giggling clown, a bipolar kimono girl, and a shameless flirt, our would-be selves. Great.

Rhythm shrugged while chewing on a piece of teriyaki chicken. Temari just kind of laughed, and Kusukusu _really_ laughed. Nagihiko bit into the chicken, and his eyes widened.

"This is good," he muttered. I stared at him in shock. I thought I'd never hear the day that somebody would call my mom's cooking 'good.'

"Please, compared to your mom's and Baaya-san's cooking, this is like…like salt-and-vinegar chips!" I protested.

"Gee, thanks for the wonderful reference," he said dryly. He then shrugged, and he told me, "I usually eat only traditional food, nothing really like this." He gestured at the food. "It's good…It's different."

I nodded. I suppose it was the same with me when I ate dinner at his house. After devouring half of our dinner, the shugo charas went off again, probably off to go steal our loose change.

Nagihiko brushed off his pants and got up. I glanced up at him inquiringly. "Bathroom," he told me.

"Ew."

"It's a natural process of life, Rima-chan," he told me with a smirk. "What do you want me to do?"

"Hold it in," I grumbled. He rolled his amber eyes and walked through the door, and then straight back in.

"Where's the bathroom?" he asked innocently. I sighed and glanced up at him.

"It's…downstairs…" I trailed off as he groaned.

"Don't you have one upstairs?" he protested. I shook my head, smirking at him. He frowned.

"Why are you smirking?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "If my cover's blown, so is yours." I paled.

"Shoot," I muttered. I then reverted back to my original plan. "Hold it in," I demanded.

He gave me a look. "Natural processes of life do no enjoy being held in, Rima-chan," he scolded. I sighed.

"Fine. Wear your hair band, and hope that he's in his room writing his stupid forms," I grumbled as we both walked out the door.

We walked downstairs casually, and I heard rapid typing in my parent's room. I sighed in relief and pointed at the door back in the corner. "That's it, go let your 'natural process' go," I told him sarcastically.

I stood outside of the door awkwardly while he used the bathroom. "Jeez, hurry up!" I hissed through the door.

"Rima, what in the world are you doing?" I turned. Great, Daddy Dearest came out of his bedroom.

"Er, Nadeshiko is in the bathroom! You know, girls do _everything_ together, including walking…downstairs…to use the restroom so that we can talk through the door," I told him, putting on my bored face, although on the inside, I was cringing at the awkwardness of what I had just said.

My dad nodded slowly. Internally, I rolled my eyes. My dad never understood girls, which, as of right now, was working in my favor.

"I suppose I'll just use the bathroom later," my dad said, embarrassed as he left. I sighed in relief, and I heard the door behind me open and watched as Nagihiko peered around it.

"Well?" he asked in his girly voice. I nodded and dragged him back upstairs while he ripped off the hairband and handed it to me.

He winced as he took it off. "Jeez, your head is tiny!"

"Wow, thanks for telling me," I said wryly. I curled up on the bed.

"How many more hours till your mom comes home?" he asked. I shrugged.

"How long has it been since she left?" I asked him as I leaned back with the book in the air.

"An hour and thirty minutes, give or take a few minutes," he responded. I raised my head.

"You're kidding," I deadpanned. He shook his head.

"Sadly, I'm not," he told me wryly. "Is she expecting me to be here when she comes back?"

"She adores you, so yes, she is definitely expecting you to be here," I told him with a sighed. Why does my mother love my worst enemy?

"I think I might die in this house," Nagihiko said as he laid his head back onto my bed post. "I've been through more stuff in this house than anything else in my life. Except maybe the library incident…"

I smirked. "Yeah, what a wonderful experience to go through in my life," I said sarcastically as I started reading the confusing book again. My head started hurting, and Nagihiko started whistling to fill in the science. I swear, he has the most _annoying_ habits ever.

"I am about to stuff you into my attic if you don't stop whistling," I hissed at him.

He gave me a look. "You really like threatening to take me hostage, don't you? Wanting to stuff me in sewers, attics, and basements, I mean really."

I shrugged, and then got up and crawled over to him and watched him do…stuff. He was connecting wires and stuff, and it involved batteries and lightbulbs…It was rather complicated.

"Do you know what you're doing?" I asked incredulously.

"Shocked?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I told him, and he just sighed. "You really enjoy underestimating me, don't you?"

"Why yes, I do," I responded. I pretty much sat there for fifteen minutes, just watching him connect (I am pretty sure he was doing it randomly, since he was connecting blue with red, and there weren't directions either...) the various wires, as if he was testing it. It was rather boring, but most likely better than reading that stupidly hard book.

After awhile, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Are you kidding? I looked around wildly, searching desperately for the hairband. Why the _heck_ was my dad coming up the stairs?

Nagihiko plucked _my_ hairband off of _my_ head and put it on his. The door creaked open and I saw two familiar brown eyes appear around the corner. And then the rest of her appeared.

Emphasis on the_ her._

"Um, would you care to tell me why Nagihiko-kun is _cross-dressing_?" my mother asked, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms.

"Um…Would you accept the answer that he has a cross-dressing fetish?" I asked weakly.

My mother kept tapping her foot, although she looked amused and on the verge of laughing.

"Dad," I eventually told her.

"Ah," she said, rolling her eyes. "Sorry for the trouble, Nagihiko-kun."

He shook his head, taking off the hairband with a slight and dramatic wince. I shot him a glare. "It's fine," he told her politely.

My mom smiled, and then said, "I'll drive you home, Nagihiko-kun, and I'll try my best to ward off Papa."

We nodded. Nagihiko quickly started packing up, while I just sighed.

"Finally. I honestly thought that I would have to lock you up in the cellar," I said, relieved.

"Oh, so it's the cellar now?"

I gave him a look. "Go let go of your natural processes," I shot back at him.

"Pleasant young blond child, aren't you?"

I shoved his books at him forcefully. A bit too much, maybe, and he landed on the floor with a thud. I burst out laughing.

He took my hand and pulled me down onto the floor with him, and I landed in his lap. Right into his flippin' lap.

"What the crap?" I muttered, turning pink. "Screwed up destiny."

Nagihiko paled as he turned towards the door, where yelps of delight were erupting. Why is it that people find me in weird situations?

"So cute," my mother whispered. Then she shook her head, and winked at us. "Come down when you're done!"

I quickly got back up, pushing Nagihiko back down again for leverage. "Thanks, Rima-chan," he said sarcastically as he sat down on the ground.

"I can see why Rhythm's your shugo chara now," I told him critically. "You hit on innocent little girls!"

"Define innocent in a way that suits you," he retorted as we both walked out the door and started walking downstairs. I jabbed my tiny little hairband onto his head (rather painfully, and I was definitely aware of the cringe he made) and we both walked out smiling girlishly. My mother smirked and shook her head.

"He's in the restroom. You know how long it takes for men to use the restroom."

"Trust me, I have the experience," I told her in disgust. Nagihiko rolled his eyes and handed me the hairband as all three of us walked out the door and into the car, off to Nagihiko's massive house.

"I swear, I am _never_ going to go back to your house to work on this project ever again," he whispered at me. Rhythm and Temari (who just kind of appear at the most _random_ times) cracked up above him, causing Kusukusu to erupt into laughter.

I just shrugged. "My house always seems to have that effect on guys."

* * *

_This was so fun! I loved writing about Rima's dad. I know he's OOC. I'm sorry...But I enjoy writing possessive fathers. And argumental people too. Sorry, not too much romance in this, huh? Hopefully you liked it anyways~_

_By the way, I decided to change the genre to Humor/Romance. Just to try it out...You know, just to not write another Friendship/Humor story again. But it'll still be mostly humor, and not so Romance based. ;)_

_Anyways, to the wonderfully amazingly awesome reviewers whom I am eternally grateful for:_

_RakiiHappiiDokkiiShidonii: Who can? Even Amu can't. Aw, thanks! :) It was so cliche, but oh so fun~ ;)_

_Goose-chan: Lol, whoops! Didn't mean to have that effect, ha ha! :) I loved the way you wrote this, just, HA HA! And you say no talent with humor? Puh-lease. Ha ha, I enjoy these long reviews as well~ ;) Have fun with your extremely violent books, ha ha! XD_

_DinosaursgoRawr101: I think I am honored that my story was so distracting that you couldn't study...Hopefully you still did awesome! XD Thanks!_

_KidTantei: Aw, thank you! That was sweet~ Aw, Justin Bieber hater? You are definitely not alone in this world... He's okay, I suppose. ;) Thanks again~_

_Riri-chi: Ha ha, thank you! It was definitely fun to write, since I've never really written anything like that. Thanks for reviewing~ I shall be eternally grateful! XD_

_Thanks again, please review!_

_It's just an innocent little button, listen, it's so lonely... Whispering, "Click me and type, click me and type!" XD So really, do click it. Pretty please? :3_


	5. Day 4, Part 1: Lover's Hot Chocolate

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_No, I still don't own Shugo Chara. Sadly. :(  
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I tapped my pencil against my desk idly, sighing as I glanced down at the worksheet. I frowned. Kusukusu wasn't even here to amuse me. She had gone off and disappeared into the wonderful land of Shugo Charas.

Science class. Wonderfully boring and stupidly long, science class just _has_ to be at the end of every day.

Ever.

Single.

Day.

Nikaidou-sensei had quit lecturing us a long time ago, since he just couldn't hold our attention at all (I blame the various times he tripped and fell onto his face). I frowned at the worksheet.

Was I supposed to know this? I'm guessing _this_ is why it is better to concentrate during class rather than not to…

That's when I heard the whish of long girly hair, and I knew it could only be one person.

Fujisaki Nagihiko, and yes, he is a boy who owns long girly hair. He flicks it and twirls it, and it's probably due to the fact he had to be a girl for half of his life…

I glanced beside me and saw Nagihiko lean back into his chair. A completed worksheet was on his desk, and he put his book back down tiredly.

"Nagihiko, you're done?" I muttered. He shrugged.

"Yeah, Nikaidou-sensei's worksheets tend to be easy." I glared at him. What _isn't_ easy to this guy?

"Speaking of Nikaidou-sensei…" We both turned and stared at our teacher, one of us murderously, the other more curiously.

Besides the facts that science is so utterly boring and long, I have the _strangest_ sense of being watched in this class.

Now, who in the world could that be?

**Nikaidou Update!**

Nikaidou-sensei stared down at his papers, but out of the corners of his eye, he could see his two students watching him carefully.

They've been doing that a lot lately, and he's pretty sure they were starting to think he was the kidnapper.

"I stopped doing that though," he muttered crossly to himself.

Not that he ever did that before…Er, nevermind.

He tapped his fingers against his desk and sighed. The once tense air around them had evaporated even more than yesterday (now what in the _world_ could've happened?), and he smiled.

His theory was turning out like he thought it would, which was satisfying, to say the least. Now mind you, he wasn't really being _nosy_, he was _testing a theory._

He looked back up at his students at the back and noticed Mashiro-san's eyes narrow intensely as he stared at her in surprise. She hadn't looked down yet?

"Oh crap. I'd better be careful walking home, because I might get abducted by a bunch of sixth grade superheroes*."

**Rima's POV**

Just as I feared, Nikaidou-sensei is a stalker teacher. He might be keeping a low profile for now, but I am pretty sure he's watching Nagihiko and me.

"Shoot, a stalker teacher and a cross-dressing partner? How messed up can my life get?" I mumbled as I crossed my arms and leaned back into my seat sulkily. Nagihiko rolled his eyes.

"You'll never let that go, will you?"

"Nope."

Nikadou-sensei stood up for the announcements, and a silence engulfed the classroom, everybody waiting anxiously for the latest news on the kidnapper.

"A tennis game will be held next Monday at 4:30. Please come out to support your school. Drama club will meet in the Auditorium today, and everybody on your way home, please watch out, once again."

Everybody started whispering worriedly, until the shrill ringing of the bell interrupted them, and the whispers turned into cheers.

I left the classroom with Nagihiko beside me (whoopee), and we both walked ahead, both of us ignoring Amu's cries for us to wait.

"I think she's thanking us on the inside," I said as I walked towards the Royal Garden. I heard the muffled words of people around us.

"Wah, they're so cute!"

"The Guardians, the Queen and Jack chair! They're so amazing."

Flattering, and somewhat insulting, seeing as how they think we don't hear anything they say. And I resent that cute comment. Reserve that for Yaya please.

"Ah, Rima-chan?"

"Yes, Girly-Boy?"

He grimaced and rolled his eyes as he kept walking. Cherry blossoms floated through the air, making it look like pink snow. Lush (and uncut) green grass waved in the breeze peacefully, and the twigs rustled from the huge trees that hung overhead.

Ah yes, have I ever informed you that trees are the perfect place for fangirls and fanboys to hide in? Well, guess where they are now…

I watched them as they jumped from branch to branch, and Nagihiko, who seemed to have noticed the situation as well, just sighed and put his head into his hand.

Straight ahead, I saw the familiar domed ceiling and I started walking faster, dragging Mr. Feminine with me. Once we both entered, we sighed in relief.

"They might as well stalk Amu, she's walking with Tadase after all," I grumbled. Nagihiko shrugged.

We walked over to the little table, and we both froze. Yaya was there, pigging out on candy (Honestly, when _wasn't_ she?), and when she smiled, her smile was scary, almost insane and crazy.

"Ah, Rima-tan and Nagi-tan!" she squealed, which seemed to be ten times louder than before. I put my hands over my ears.

"Somebody save me," I groaned. Nagihiko shook his head.

"Was this the haul from the pictures you got?" he asked curiously. Yaya nodded, her head going up and down, up and down, and not…stopping.

"…How do we make her stop?" I asked. Nagihiko sighed.

"My guess is that she's going to crash soon," he told me, and we both waited for her to just stop.

Her nodding slowed, until she started nodding _off_, and then her face just dropped onto the table with a _thwack!_

"I pity the teachers who had her today," I said, finally sure she was actually unconscious. She was now muttering little things like, "Pepe!" and "Candy!"

I heard the door slam open and we both glanced over. Amu was grinning dopily and was blushing bright red, and Tadase just smiled happily.

"Ah, the lovely couple has finally returned from their romantic walk," I said sarcastically. Amu blushed even redder.

"Rima!" she hissed. I smiled innocently.

"Why is Yuiki-san…"Tadase trailed off, and looked at Nagihiko and me in a gentle (but still suspicious) way.

"Did you two get caught doing something and then knocked Yaya out?" Amu scolded, her eyes gleaming. I shot her a glare.

"Sugar rushes always ends in exhaustion," Nagihiko corrected before I could say anything. I nodded stiffly, since I could feel myself about to turn pink.

Amu frowned, as if disappointed that we weren't doing anything.

"That cat is rubbing off on you," I told her. Amu turned bright pink.

"You're turning a lot of colors today," I observed. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Seeing as how Yuiki-san is…out," Tadase broke in hastily, "Why don't we just skip this meeting? I'll call Yuiki-san's mother, and me and Amu-chan will stay here in the Royal Garden."

Amu turned about thirty-four shades of pink, and I rolled my eyes. Because being with Tadase, alone, is really a cause for you to turn that many colors.

"Your black kitty cat is _not_ going to be happy about that," I said with a brief snicker.

"He is _not_ mine!"

I nodded sarcastically. "Touchy, touchy."

Nagihiko shrugged. "Alright, I guess. Ah Rima-chan, I still have guests at my house, and your house…" he trailed off. "No."

I agreed completely. "I'd rather not repeat the scenario from yesterday," I said dryly. Amu looked up, immediately curious.

"What happened?"

"Nothing!" Nagihiko answered for me as he pushed me out the door. "Absolutely nothing, bye, we'll see you tomorrow!" Rhythm and Kusukusu followed us out the door, along with Temari, who was hidden inside her egg.

Amu still looked suspicious as we both left the Royal Garden, which had loud snoring emitting from it, courtesy of Yaya.

As soon as we left the glass dome, the charas floated high above us, and Temari broke out of her egg and followed.

"Where are we going?" I grumbled. We had already agreed that there would be no library, no Rima's house (at least for awhile), and Nagihiko's house had guests…

Nagihiko shrugged. "Why don't we just go to a café or something?"

I frowned. "Café? Alone? Us two together? Do you know how many rumors there would be?"

Nagihiko rolled his eyes. "I'll just say… we went there for the free wi-fi or something," he said with a sigh.

"That's…that's just cheap."

"I am a cheap guy, Rima-chan," he retorted as he dragged me off to the café. We walked the streets which were lined with trees, which gently rustled in the wind. Crowds of people rushed towards us and we fought against the flow towards the café.

I started counting something. Nagihiko glanced downwards.

"Er, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Counting how many hours I have to spend with you until I can leave," I told him. He rolled his eyes.

"I am shocked by your love and care."

"You shouldn't be, since there isn't any."

"Aw, I'm sure deep down, you care a lot about me, Rima-chan," he said with a big grin.

"And I'm sure deep down, you are a diabolical person who wishes to make me miserable. Oh wait, nope, you're already like that," I retorted.

He shook his head in defeat, and I smirked triumphantly. A breeze ruffled his hair and it flowed behind him, long, straight, and dark. His dark amber eyes reflected sunlight as he stared in the direction of said café.

"I think it's that way," he said, pointing towards a tiny little corner. I nodded and turned my back to him, and mentally cursed myself for staring at a _cross-dresser._

We walked towards the corner, and Nagihiko started his stupid whistling habit.

"What the heck? Do you have an off button?" I muttered.

"No, do you?" Nagihiko asked innocently. I scowled. He chuckled and kept walking, whistling merrily. I rolled my eyes, and eventually we arrived towards the café that Nagihiko suggested we'd go to.

A poster was taped onto the window, advertising some new type of coffee (oh yes, because adults just really need more caffeine), and in the corner, it read 'free wi-fi.'.

The charas floated around in cartwheels as they explored the wonderful land of caffeinated adults and free wi-fi as soon as we entered.

Basically, they ditched us.

"This place is so typical," I complained. He arched an eyebrow at me as we sat down, but eventually decided to ignore my comment, which in my opinion, was very rude.

"Do you want anything?" Girly-Boy asked as we sat down in a corner. He was already taking out massive heaps of books, along with three unopened packets of paper. Because we're actually going to write that much stuff for this project.

I leaned onto my hand with a bored expression. "There's not much I like to drink here…"

Then I frowned. There was something I had really liked last year, but I couldn't quite remember…

I sighed as I tried to remember. It was around Christmas, and I was at the mall with my mom…I snapped my head up as soon as I remembered. Nagihiko looked up again, startled.

"Er, yes?"

"I want hot chocolate." Nagihiko blinked.

"It's _spring_-_time_, Rima-chan. It's not even sixty degrees outside."

"So what, you're going to deprive me of hot chocolate because of that?" I asked, shocked.

"You want…Hot chocolate…during the _spring._"

I nodded. "Yeah, so what?"

He shook his head. "That's just…not right."

"You're not right," I retorted. "You have a cross-dressing fetish."

"Gee, thanks Rima-chan," he said wryly. He stood up and we both walked over to the counter. A sixteen-year old girl took our order with a big smile on her face. She had long brown hair and simple green eyes.

"Hi there, can I take your order?" she asked with a perky smile. She was looking over Nagihiko, who seemed to be oblivious since he was looking at the menu above her. Then her gaze turned on me. Her smile widened and her eyes twinkled.

Scary.

I frowned as Nagihiko took the order. Did I know her? If not, I was definitely filing a complaint of a creepy stalker girl watching me in this café, for the benefit of not only me but of all the other customers who come here.

"You want hot chocolate in the spring?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Is there a problem with that?" The girl shook her head quickly, and then scribbled it down.

"It'll be done in a second."

Nagihiko nodded with a weak smile while I just turned on my heel and walked away. I could still feel the girl's stare on me as we both walked away. I frowned as soon as I sat down and put up the book. I hissed at Nagihiko, and he looked up.

"What?" he asked curiously as he toyed with the corner of the page. The book was still up, and I kept whispering.

"That girl is staring at us!" I muttered and I pointed in her direction.

"No she's not, she's making hot chocolate," he corrected me, glancing her way. I shook my head, frustrated.

"She _was_ staring, and it's creepy," I complained as I decidedly slouched back into my seat. "I already have you and Nikaidou-sensei as creepers; I really don't need a girl."

Nagihiko was about to respond until the perky girl came over. She smiled nervously at us.

"This is a new drink, and it doesn't have a name yet, so please tell me what you think when you're through! If you need anything, you can just call me over; my name is Mitsuki, by the way." She quickly bowed her head and then scurried back over to her station.

I shrugged as I peered into my cup. Swirls of white, most likely from melted marshmallows, and then a few more were in the brown drink, with whipped cream to top it all off. I blew on it gently and sipped it. Nagihiko did the same.

It was sweet and chocolaty, a hint of vanilla that coated my mouth. It was…Well, it was good. Even so…

I burned my tongue.

"Ah!" I muttered as I quickly put the drink down. Nagihiko glanced up.

"You burned your mouth?" I glared at him, but didn't respond.

"You see Rima-chan? _That_ is exactly why we don't have hot chocolate during the spring."

"Aw, shut up Girly-Boy," I grumbled. He smirked.

"I am really starting to find that as a term of endearment," he told me deviously as he leaned back into his chair.

"Endearment my butt," I retorted as I did the same, reluctantly putting my book back down. I sipped my hot chocolate again, and winced slightly. It was delicious, but the burn was annoying.

"You know for a burn, you should really drink some water or something," Nagihiko said matter-of-a-factly, "to cool it down or something."

I shot him a look. "Here is Mr. Know-it-all," I mumbled. Nagihiko blinked, and I looked up, only to see his face was a few inches from mine.

"In fact, I hear there's another way to cure mouth burn, if you get what I'm saying," he said with a wink. I shoved him backwards, and I am betting that I was turning pink too.

"Shut up," I mumbled. "Rhythm, I'm going to murder you," I told the snickering chara, who immediately shut up, and the headphones around Nagihiko's neck popped and disappeared. Rhythm pretty much speed flew back over to Temari and Kusukusu, who were looking through a lady's purse.

"…What?" Nagihiko asked as he looked around with a frown. I shook my head.

"Shut up and do work," I commanded. He looked at me in shock.

"Whatever happened, I'm grateful it did. Rima-chan wanting to do work is definitely not common…"

"Shut up Girly-Boy."

Nagihiko just smiled, amused, while I just grimaced and stared down hard at the book. I looked up and watched Nagihiko as he scribbled down note after note after note…It went on and on and on.

I slouched back into my chair. I was feeling kind of hungry. Almost like she had read my mind, that perky girl –what was her name?- came back and smiled, her eyes bright, but glinting deviously, like she knew something we didn't.

"Are you feeling hungry?" she asked with a bright grin. Nagihiko glanced over at me.

"Are you?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Somewhat," I said in a bored tone. "But I want Skittles, and _not Starbursts._"

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"No, probably not."

"You're so particular! I swear, they all taste the same."

"No, Skittles aren't chewy, and Starbursts stink. End of discussion."

Nagihiko chuckled lightly, and I smirked. The girl, who had been watching our tiny argument fervently (I swear, I think she was taking notes), grinned even more, and she looked excited.

It was weird. Like stalker-fanboy weird.

"So, do you want something?" she asked, sounding like she was trying to suppress a giggle. I looked down at the menu.

"Does cake bother mouth burns?" I inquired. The girl's eyebrows furrowed, and she frowned. Nagihiko saved her.

"No, Rima-chan, I am pretty sure your mouth burn will not be bothered if you eat cake," he told me sarcastically.

I shot him a look. "Promise?"

He chuckled and smirked. "Yeah, I promise," he said as he took my pinky and shook it. The girl –seriously, I needed to learn her name- squealed so high, I almost didn't hear it. I arched an eyebrow.

Nagihiko, who looked mildly uncomfortable, smiled and said, "Um, could we just have some of the fruit cake?"

The girl's eyes gleamed, and she nodded quickly. She then ran off to go get our cake.

I tapped my pencil repeatedly onto the table, and Nagihiko leaned forward and grabbed _my_ pencil and _took it._

"Confiscated, because it's being annoying," he told me. I crossed my arms.

"Seriously? Give me back my pencil, Girly-Boy," I grumbled, shooting him an icy glare.

"You got to promise to stop tapping your pencil then, Demon Chibi," he scolded, looking highly amused.

"I promise," I told him sarcastically. "Now give me back my stupid pencil before I kick you."

Nagihiko rolled his eyes and gave me my pencil. I glanced up and saw the girl coming over with our cake, although I am pretty sure I saw her watching our little exchange.

She put down a massive slice of cake and she smiled cheerfully. On the plate, there were two forks, and she set them down.

"Hope you enjoy it!"

"…" I stared at the cake. "Why isn't it in two slices?"

Nagihiko frowned, as if he was just noticing this now. "I…I don't know."

My stomach lurched as I realized what that girl was doing.

"Oh crap, I am pretty sure that that girl is trying to set us up. She's an even worse meddler than Amu and Yaya!" I said in horror.

"She is not," Nagihiko said doubtfully. I sighed as I listed the reasons.

"She's scribbling down notes, she's watching our conversations, and she's squealing every time we do something 'sweet' or 'cute'," I told him.

Nagihiko paused. And paused. And paused.

"Crap."

"Yeah, do you understand me now Mr. Cross-dresser?"

"Just eat the stupid cake, Rima-chan," Nagihiko retorted. I grabbed a fork and stabbed a piece of cake.

"Don't kill it," he mumbled.

"Cake is unkillable," I told him grimly. "Why do you think Yaya's keeps coming back?"

Nagihiko laughed lightly. I ate another piece. Then I frowned.

"You liar," I said with a frown. "This totally irritates my mouth burn."

"I am sorry, Rima-chan," he said as he picked at the cake. "I truly am."

"You're too late, I've already been injured," I retorted. "My mouth is wailing in pain."

"I deeply apologize for your pain," he said sarcastically. "Will you ever forgive me?"

I rolled my eyes as I ate another piece of cake. Kusukusu, Temari, and Rhythm each stole a fruit, and started eating it happily.

I heard a clatter, and looked up as Nagihiko started taking notes. Then I glanced at the cake in front of us. If Amu had seen us sharing cake…the results would have been disastrous.

"Wait a minute, I have to eat the rest of this?" I protested. Nagihiko glanced up.

"I don't really like cake, because of the frosting, so yeah," Nagihiko responded.

"Are you _insane?_" I whisper-shrieked at him. "How can you _not_ like icing?"

"It's too sweet," he said defensively. "It's basically just sugar and water. Whipped cream is better."

"Whipped cream _stinks_," I corrected him. "Frosting is way better."

"No."

"Yeah."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

I took a spoonful of frosting and stuck into his mouth. He choked, and then swallowed.

"Ow, what the heck?" Nagihiko asked as he rubbed his throat. "That, by the way, was disgusting."

I ignored him. "Man, I accidentally used my spoon instead of yours."

I heard a pop, and then I looked up to see a devious looking Nagihiko. "That's technically an indirect kiss," he told me with a smirk.

I ignored that comment too, but sadly still turned pink. I glared at Rhythm who was closing his eyes and floating about carelessly.

"Really?"

Rhythm smiled sheepishly, and with a pop, the headphones disappeared again. Nagihiko blinked a few times, and then frowned at the plate.

"What just happened?"

"Nothing, so shut up and do your work," I retorted. I jabbed another piece of cake into my mouth, and I heard Rhythm snicker. I shot the tiny chara a glare.

"Rima-chan, you're pink," Nagihiko observed.

"It's because of you and your perverted chara," I told him, shooting a frosty look at Rhythm, who was retreating behind Temari and Kuskusu. What a man, what a man.

Nagihiko sighed. "Of course."

Eventually, I finished the cake, while Nagihiko just picked off all of the fruit. That girl came by and whisked the plate away with another huge grin plastered onto her face.

I sipped my hot chocolate again. By now, it had cooled down, and it tasted sweet and satisfying.

I wrote down another note on electrical currents, and noticed that girl whispering excitedly to another waitress. She was pointing in our direction, and she was grinning madly.

"Is that girl insane or something?" I wondered. Nagihiko looked up in surprise, and then saw who I was referring to.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Nagihiko replied as he continued reading. I shrugged doubtfully, still suspicious.

_Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep!_

I flipped open my cell phone and found a text from my mom.

**To:** Rima

**From:** Mom

**Subject:** It's time

Papa and I are going out. Since we don't want you to stay home alone, can you ask Nagihiko-kun to stay over at our house? It's Friday, so it should be fine. And yes Rima, you are required to ask.

Love, Mama

I cringed. If Dad ever found out that a boy was sleeping over at our house, it would have…disastrous results.

I set down my phone and sighed. "Nagihiko, I need to go home, and ," I mumbled.

Nagihiko glanced up. "What was that last part?"

I shoved my cell phone at him, and he read the text. He shrugged. "Sure."

"You don't feel the least bit uncomfortable?" I prompted him suspiciously.

"Nah, Amu-chan's slept over at my house when I was Nadeshiko," he told me breezily.

"…You have no idea how disturbingly strange that sounded."

"Thanks, Rima-chan, because I really needed to know."

We started packing up (in actuality, I shoved books at him, which he shoved into his backpack), and then we both got up and left the café. We started walking off towards my house, until I frowned.

"Nagihiko, where's my cell phone?"

"I dunno, don't you have it?"

"I gave it to you!"

"Oh…whoops?"

"Hate you," I mumbled as I turned around, and he followed. We came back in and saw that perky waitress girl putting up a new drink called, "Lover's hot chocolate.'

I tilted my head. "What's that?"

The girl, who noticed us, smiled brightly. She came over and handed me my cell phone.

"You left this behind," she said kindly. "By the way, I really wanted to thank you two!"

I arched an eyebrow. "What for?"

"That hot chocolate was my signature drink," she told us. "But I really needed a name, and you guys inspired me! I decided to call it Lover's hot chocolate."

"Lover's…hot chocolate?" Nagihiko asked.

She nodded. "Yeah! You guys looked really cute together, drinking that stuff. You guys argued, had inside jokes, and even little nicknames for each other! Oh, and the promises were just, just so _cute,_" she squealed. "Besides that, you even blushed sometimes," she said with a wink. "And you guys shared _cake_, which was absolutely adorable."

I shot her a look, which she didn't notice. She kept rambling on. "When you guys ordered matching drinks, I just had to watch you two."

"You guys reminded me of that feeling of love," she said dreamily, her eyes shining. "So that's how you inspired me!"

"…Love?" Nagihiko asked, choking on the word, either due to laughter or disbelief, I'm not quite sure…

She nodded. "Isn't it cute?" she said with a smile. "If you'd like, I could put up a sign that says who inspired me…"

"Ha, no, that's okay," Nagihiko said quickly, as if sensing that I was about to strangle myself. "Let's go, Rima-koi!"

I shot him a glare as we both left the café, the girl waving after us happily, and saying, "Please come again!"

"-koi?" I asked him. He shrugged, and pointed at Rhythm.

"He did it."

"Wow, thanks for selling me out, Nagi!" Rhythm whined.

"Why didn't you tell her it wasn't true?" I muttered at him. He smirked.

"Aw, are you embarrassed?" he teased. I gave him a look. He smiled, and then shrugged.

"She worked hard to think of a name. If we accidentally inspired her, then why not?" he asked. "It would be pointless to tell her that all of her work was inspired by the wrong people."

"Stupid compassionate person," I mumbled.

"Aw, I love you too, Rima-chan," he said sarcastically.

We kept walking for little while in silence, until Nagihiko asked, "So what exactly am I doing at your house?"

"I don't know, the project?" I frowned, since I think I was forgetting a tiny detail…I froze after realizing it.

"Crap! My dad will still be home when we get there!" I cried out. I took my hair band and jabbed it onto his head painfully. I smirked in satisfaction as he winced.

"Jeez, cut off my circulation why don't you?"

"Aw, I didn't already?" I retorted sarcastically.

"What was that for?" he asked with a pout. I gave him a syrupy smile.

"_That,_ Nagihiko, was for calling me 'Rima-koi'," and before he could respond, I kept walking through the streets until I arrived at my tiny little house.

Where I would be staying…alone…with a _cross-dressing_ _boy_…alone.

Oh yeah, I am beyond screwed.

* * *

_I love writing this story~ It's so fun. Well, that was like half of a day. Fun, right?_

_Which means I have another half...Crap. _

_This chapter was randomly fun. Hot chocolate in the spring tastes good, by the way, and yes, I have tried it. :3 _

_To the reviews! _

_Aquatwin: Aw, thank you! ;) It's a good thing you laughed, since it is labeled HUMOR. XD It's cause the SC guys are all completely lovable, and their all basically kiss-ups (but still lovable). ;)_

_KidTantei: Meh, he's okay. Certainly different, what with his unnaturally high voice. :D Ha ha, yay! :) I love writing about possessive fathers, their just so fun to manipulate~ XD Glad you liked it~ _

_Rikan Shirokura the Shugotard: Rima enjoys torturing Nagihiko whenever she can, no matter where she is. ;) Hah, yes, possessive fathers are awesome~ Single people are awesome (by the way, love your ring finger thing, lol!). ;) _

_Riri-chi: Ha ha, I'm glad that I made you laugh, which is my goal. Cross-dressing fetish is what Nagihiko is known for, except by Rima's dad. I kinda felt bad making him so oblivious...Hooray! XD Good thing you liked it. ;) When I read that PS, I was like, Wow, duh, I'm so dumb. So I added it a bit in this chapter. :3_

_Anyways, yes, the end of this chapter. I should update pretty soon, since I'm on break~ Whoot! XD_

_So yes, thanks for reading, and I'd be VERY THANKFUL if you'd press that button right down there and reviewed._

_Just saying. :)_

_So seriously, thanks for my awesomical reviewers and readers, and hopefully you liked it! Thanks~_

_-forever blue skies-_


	6. Day 4, Part 2: Sleepovers

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Disclaimer: My gosh, NO, I don't own it. I've said this so many times, DO YOU NEED TO REMIND ME? D:  
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I opened the door cautiously, and Nagihiko just crossed his arms and stood on our porch, a forced smile on his face and the girly hairband around his head. I snickered.

"Mom, Dad, are you home?" I shouted as I entered the house. I heard resounding footsteps, and my mom appeared.

"Ah, Nagihiko-kun, you came!" she said, delighted. I cringed. My mom had become obsessive about Nagihiko, and it was…disturbing, to say the least.

My father came in, snapping his watch clasp on. "That's her cross-dressing friend," he told my mother smugly, "not a boy."

My mom looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes as she nodded. "Oh, you're right," she told him as they both started walking out the door. "A cross-dressing girl is her best friend."

I rolled my eyes as my parents continued to argue, one actually knowing the truth, the other oblivious. Both kissed me on the cheek and eventually said good-bye, and with a wave of their hands, they were gone.

Leaving a poor, little, and defenseless girl all alone with a cross-dressing boy.

I sat down on the couch and flicked on the TV Nagihiko plopped down next to me and frowned as he handed me my hairband, which I stuck back onto my head.

"Shouldn't we work on the project?" he asked. I kept flipping from channel to channel, a bored look on my face.

"No."

He rolled his eyes. I frowned defensively. "We're going to be here all night, so there's no rush," I grumbled. He sighed, but nodded anyways.

"I'm thirsty," he said after awhile. I raised an eyebrow.

"That's fabulous," I said sarcastically. "And I care because?"

"You _should_ care because I'm your guest," he told me with a slight smirk. "But I'm guessing you don't care?"

"Not generally, no."

He got up and headed into the kitchen, and I heard the trickling of water as he poured himself a glass. He came back in and sat down, leaning back into the sofa.

"There's nothing on," I muttered as I continued to flick through the channels. Kusukusu and the other charas had ditched us, all three of them going upstairs to go explore the wonderful world of Rima's bedroom.

Nagihiko shrugged, and I gave him a withering look since he hadn't been watching TV to start with. He had started reading a massive book, and had been flipping through the pages absent-mindedly.

"How can you read that?" I asked incredulously.

"It's really interesting," he replied. "It's about—"

"I don't want to know," I told him bluntly, interrupting him. He smirked.

"Of course you didn't."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. Five-thirty. I groaned internally. I had to spend the rest of the day with this…this…this _thing_, this _monster,_ this _cross-dresser._

"Ew," I muttered in disgust. Nagihiko raised an eyebrow expectantly, and I smiled sweetly at him in return.

"Nothing," I said. He shrugged and started taking out a few project materials.

"Okay, should we start this now?" he asked with a frown.

"It's only our fourth day on the project Nagihiko," I said exasperatedly. "We have three weeks to do it, remember?"

"The four days we 'did' it were kind of wasted, Rima-chan. First we did Google Pacman, then we were trapped inside of a closet, and then…"

"Hey, we actually did some work at my house," I said defensively.

"Yes, but it also involved me cross-dressing half of the time to fool your possessive father," he told me dryly.

I shrugged. "My house has consequences?"

He nodded. "Your house is definitely complicated," he agreed with a smirk.

"And yours isn't?" I retorted, crossing my arms. "You had to _cross-dress_ for half of your life because of your mom," I pointed out.

He frowned. "It's a tradition," he said defensively. I shrugged.

"A dumb one," I muttered. I leaned back into the sofa lazily. I turned the TV off and sighed. Nagihiko looked up from his book and glanced over at me.

"You could always read," he pointed out.

"Sorry, I'm not a nerd like you," I said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and closed the book and looked at me.

"Since you're so bored, what do you want to do?" he asked with a sigh, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"I don't know," I told him. "I already finished all of my gag manga and there's nothing on TV either…"

Nagihiko smiled thoughtfully. "Let's play cards," he suggested with a twinkle in his eyes. I shot him a suspicious look.

"What game?"

"Palace?" he suggested. I frowned and stared at him.

"Isn't that a strategy game?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Nagihiko shrugged.

"Yeah, why?"

"No," I told him flatly.

He pouted. "Why?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"You sound whiny," I told him with a scoff. "Besides, I suck at strategy games."

"That just means you're a sore loser."

"No, that means I'm smart enough to not try something I know I'll fail at," I corrected him. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, fine, what do you want to do?"

I tapped my cheek thoughtfully and stared up at the ceiling. "How about a classic game?" I asked with a smirk.

Nagihiko frowned as he raised an eyebrow. "What classic game?" he asked as he got out the pack of cards.

I ignored him. "Pass me the cards," I said, holding out my hand. I (tried) to shuffle the cards. Nagihiko snickered.

"You…Your shuffling is kind of…"

"Shut up," I growled. I passed out the cards evenly between us and he waited with a frown.

"So what is this classic game?" he asked curiously. I smirked.

"I thought you were smart, Nagihiko," I scolded. "I thought you would've guessed by now."

He just continued giving me that look, and I sighed. "Go Fish."

He gave me a look. "You're kidding."

"What?" I said defensively. "Go Fish is a classic."

He shook his head. "It has no strategy whatsoever." I shrugged.

"That's why we didn't play Palace," I told him as I picked up my cards and started to set my cards up. Nagihiko sighed.

"Fine. Do you have any jacks?" he said as he dropped his head onto his hand. I shot him a glare.

"Dang it," I grumbled as I handed him my jack. He shook his head, amused, as he put my jack with his and put it down.

"Figures you'd go with a jack," I muttered. Then I blinked innocently.

"Any queens?"

He shook his head while grinning and said, "Go fish."

I drew a card and frowned. "Any fives?" Nagihiko asked.

I handed him my cards, shooting him a look suspiciously. "Any tens?"

"Go fish. Any nines?"

"You're so cheating," I told him, crossing my arms as I handed him my nines. "You've gotten three right guesses in a row!"

"Lucky guesses," he said defensively. And then he smirked. "You're just being a sore loser," he told me with a grin.

"Am not," I said as I put my cards down and took the cup of water and sipped it. Nagihiko raised an eyebrow.

"That's mine."

I slammed the cup down and coughed. "Ew!"

"You've done that twice," he said, choking on his laughter. "Once with the cake, and now this…"

"Shut up," I told him with a glare. He put his cards down and leaned back into the sofa with a frown.

"Pro—"

"No."

He sighed. "What time is it?" I glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned.

"Six o'clock," I mumbled. Nagihiko frowned as he picked up the cards and shuffled them absent-mindedly.

"Which reminds me, what are we eating for dinner?" he asked. I shrugged, and got up and went into the kitchen with Nagihiko behind me. I checked the fridge and shook my head.

"No food," I informed him. Nagihiko smirked as he got out a couple of eggs and some left-over rice.

"So, Rima-chan, by any chance, can you cook?" he asked innocently.

"No, but you can!" I shot back as I started walking back to the living room. He dragged me back into the kitchen.

"You're helping me cook," he said bluntly, an evil grin on his face. I glared at him.

"Fine," I grumbled. "What are we making?"

"How about fried rice?" he suggested. "That's pretty easy." I shrugged. He took out a pan and heated it up with oil and other crap that I didn't understand.

"Rima-chan, can you crack an egg for me?" he asked as he got out some soy sauce and dumped the rice into the pan and started heating it up. I cracked the egg and raised an eyebrow.

"Now what?"

"Stir it," he said slowly, staring at me like I was an idiot. I shot him a glare, but stirred it like I was supposed to, and handed it to him. He stared at the bowl.

"Rima-chan, this has egg shells in it," he told me. I frowned.

"Are they not supposed to be in there?"

"Rima-chan," he told me even slower than before, "Egg shells aren't _edible._"

"I knew that," I said as I snatched the bowl back and dumped the eggs into the trash. I tried again.

And failed. I tried again…

And failed. Tried…

Failed. Tried…

Failed. Tried…

Failed.

"Rima-chan, you are wasting a lot of eggs," Nagihiko said with a snicker in his voice. He had taken the rice off the heat a long time ago while waiting for me to crack the stupid eggs. "Do you want me to do it?"

"No," I growled as I cracked my sixth egg. Five pieces of shell got in it, and I nearly shrieked in frustration. I reached into the egg carton and frowned.

"…Whoops," I said while biting my lower lip. "No more eggs."

Nagihiko shot me a look. "Why don't we just use something else?" he said with a heavy sigh, as if I was the cause of all of his troubles.

Nagihiko went over to the fridge and got out some green onions, regular onions, and peas.

"Rima-chan, can you peel and cut the onions? All you have to do is whack at it with a knife," he muttered. I glared at him and kicked his knee. He winced while I smiled innocently.

"Sure Nagihiko!"

I took the knife and was about to whack at it until Nagihiko cried out, "Wait!" I looked at him as he picked it up and washed the vegetables.

"Rima-chan, if you didn't wash it, it'd be unsanitary," he scolded. I snatched the vegetables from him and took he knife and whammed it down. Nagihiko cringed.

"Rima-chan, you're…you're _murdering_ them," he mumbled watching me hack away at the green onions. I ignored him, but in the end…

Well, let's just say we didn't use the green onions.

I peeled the onion while Nagihiko watched me as if I was peeling an onion wrong. I started slicing at it, and Nagihiko just shook his head. The stench of the onion hit me, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I sniffled.

"Aw, Rima-chan, are you crying?" he asked, laughing breezily.

"Be quiet," I sniffled as I rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my coat. "I hate onions!"

"I'm sure they love you too, Rima-chan," he told me with a grin. I cut it at irregular angles, and I could tell that the onion was dying by my hands. They deserved it anyways.

"Rima-chan, can you cook _anything_?" Nagihiko asked, laughing. I shot him a glare as I tossed the remains of the onion into the trashcan. Nagihiko grabbed the peas, until I yelped and took the bag away.

"No peas," I stated flatly, putting the package back into the fridge.

"Why?" Nagihiko asked, waiting impatiently for my answer.

"Because they're disgusting," I told him as if it was obvious. He shook his head and sighed at me, which I decided was extremely rude.

Nagihiko went back over to the fridge and searched for _some_ other form of food. Then he came back out holding a green box.

"Rima-chan, isn't this food?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I glanced at it and shrugged.

"It's curry sauce," I told him as I went over and looked at the front. "So yeah, I guess."

"I thought you said you didn't have food!" he asked, chuckling amusedly. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I didn't check that section of my fridge," I said huffily. "Now shut up and cook." He rolled his eyes and read the instructions on the back. He shrugged.

"You just put it in the oven," he said. "It has the chicken and stuff in it already, so I guess…"

"I bet the chicken's fake," I muttered, and seeing how cheap my dad was, it probably was.

"Whatever," he said as he pressed a few buttons on the oven. "When this beeps, just put this in," he told me as he tore the package open and took out the curry. He dumped it onto a metal tray and handed it to me.

"Rima-chan, can I take a shower?" he asked. I glanced at him.

"No, because I don't want a cross-dresser in my bathroom."

"Too bad, I've already been in your bathroom," he said with a smirk. He then frowned.

"I don't have any clothes here; can I borrow some?" he asked with wide, innocent eyes. I glared at those eyes intensely.

"Sure," I said in a syrupy tone. "I'm sure my mom has a few dresses you could borrow!"

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically as I went into my parents bedroom. I handed him a shirt of my dad's.

"When you're done with it, just burn it," I said, wrinkling my nose. I handed him a towel and other stuff he needed. He shot me a look as he walked into the shower. I sighed as I walked over to the oven and waited impatiently for it to beep. By now, I was pretty hungry, since it was already seven o'clock.

I tapped my foot and just collapsed into a chair. A few minutes later, I heard the oven beep, and I rushed over and put the tray in. I sighed satisfactorily, and returned to the couch. I jumped in surprise at the crack of lightning outside.

"Holy crap, it's raining?" I muttered. Why the heck didn't I notice the massive storm going on outside? Rain hit the window forcefully, and lightning flashed and cracked with thunder booming loudly. The trees swayed from side to side dangerously, as if they were about to fall down.

Basically, it was a pretty intense thunderstorm. That's when the lights went out. I looked up in surprise. And that's when a huge thing registered in my mind, and I screamed as loudly as possible.

I heard footsteps race towards me as I stood in front of the oven, glaring at it. Nagihiko, who was most likely in a huge t-shirt, with his girly hair all wet, had probably rushed out of the shower thinking I was about to be killed, only to find me about to strangle the oven.

"Rima-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, panicked. I turned my gaze onto him, or at least, where I thought he was.

"The _stupid_ electricity went out while the _stupid_ curry was _stupidly_ cooking inside of the _stupid_ oven," I nearly shrieked. Nagihiko gaped at me.

"I thought you were about to be kidnapped or something," he grumbled as I took the still frozen curry out of the oven.

I glanced in what I thought was his direction, and stumbled on something. Nagihiko caught me, and I grimaced.

"I can't see anything," I grumbled as I tried to walk around. "How the heck are we going to see anything?"

Nagihiko (most likely) smiled, and he said, "If I can just make the lightbulb turn on for the project, then we'll have a source of light!"

"Or…even better," I suggested, rolling my eyes, "we could use a magical item called a _flashlight!_"

Without even letting him answer, I touched the wall gingerly until I got to the drawer and pulled out the slender handle and flicked it on. And accidentally flashed it right into Nagihiko's eyes.

"Thanks, Rima-chan," he said sarcastically as he rubbed his eyes. "Well, now we can work on our project!" he said brightly. "Since we have no electricity, we can't watch TV, and no internet."

"Or we could play Go Fish," I told him innocently.

"I'm not playing with a sore loser," he told me wryly as he dragged me behind the couch and sat down on the floor. He took out the wires and a few batteries and lightbulbs.

"You've been trying to do this since day one, Nagihiko, and you've been failing since you started," I told him. He gave me a look.

"Way to rub salt into the wound, Rima-chan," he said while rolling his eyes. I shrugged; like I cared.

He attached wires over and over, and failing every time. It reminded me of when I was cracking eggs, except this was Nagihiko doing this. After awhile, Nagihiko's eyes flashed, and I saw Temari suddenly coming down the stairs with Kusukusu and Rhythm pulling at her to prevent her from…

Nagihiko's hair was suddenly pulled back into a ponytail with two flower clips, and his voice went a few pitches higher (though, you really couldn't tell from all the yelling).

"WHY WON'T YA WORK, YA STUPID CONTRAPTION!" he yelled, and a naginata appeared. I yelped. If I didn't stop him, I would have two couches instead of one.

"Nagihiko, calm down," I said cautiously as I stepped towards him slowly. "Deep breaths, in and out," I paused at the irony of the fact that _I _had become the therapist.

Nagihiko whipped his naginata forward and hit the lightbulb, and it shattered. I winced. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

Nagihiko blinked and rubbed the back of his head. The flower clips disappeared, and his long hair dropped back around his shoulders.

"Er, what just happened?"

"You have anger management issues," I told him bluntly as I took out the broom and handed it to him.

"You make the mess, you clean the mess," I stated. He frowned.

"Half of the time you make the mess, you don't clean it," he pointed out. I shot him a look.

"You just had a temper tantrum in my living room and smashed a lightbulb with a naginata," I told him dryly. "Just sweep."

He smiled sheepishly as he swept the pieces away. Another crack of lightning flashed across the sky, and I winced inwardly. Nagihiko didn't notice, to my relief. That's when I realized something horrible.

"Nagihiko, are you not wearing pants?" I asked in horror. Nagihiko looked up and arched an eyebrow.

"Rima-chan, this shirt is long enough that it doesn't even matter," he pointed out. I shot him a glare.

"That didn't answer the question!" I hissed. He sighed.

"Yes Rima-chan, I am wearing shorts underneath this shirt," he said as he shook his head. I sighed in relief. "Aw, Rima-chan, are you disappointed?"

"I swear Nagihiko, if you aren't chara-changed with Rhythm; I'm going to murder you," I growled while turning light pink.

"That's a threat, Rima-chan," he feigned hurt. I rolled my eyes.

"Wait a minute…" I muttered. "How the _heck_ am I supposed to take a shower?" Nagihiko shrugged.

"I am pretty sure it is dangerous to take a shower while a thunderstorm is happening," he told me. I groaned.

"We don't have food either…" Nagihiko shook his head.

"We have…rice?" he said with a small smile.

"Yes, Nagihiko, because plain rice is so delicious," I said sarcastically. He frowned and raised his hands defensively.

"I wasn't the one who had a disability at cracking eggs and using a knife," he said with a grin. I pouted.

"I suck at cooking, so what?"

"Girls are supposed to be good at cooking," he pointed out, crossing his arms. I mimicked his pose.

"That's so stereotypical," I told him. He rolled his eyes.

"But still, so true," he retorted, and I could tell he was laughing on the inside. Jerk.

"Amu can't cook, and Yaya…She just can't be trusted with a knife, since she'd probably stab somebody."

"Amu-chan has Su," Nagihiko said, "And as for Yaya-chan…" he trailed off, and shuddered. "Most definitely, Yaya-chan can never use a knife."

I glanced at the clock and frowned. "It's only eight o'clock?" I groaned. Nagihiko looked up in surprise.

"Really? I thought it would've been much longer," he mused. I shot him a look. "I suppose we should continue working on the project."

"No way, we're playing Go Fish again," I stated, handing him the cards. Like I was actually going to spend the night studying how electrical currents work, how they flow, and how different materials affect it.

Oh my crap, I'm starting to turn into a nerd. Nagihiko just handed out the cards, and I picked mine up. I had more pairs than last time, and I smirked.

"Now, Rima-chan, are you going to be a sore loser again?" he asked innocently. I gave him a sweet smile.

"No, because I'm going to whup your butt," I informed him while putting down my pairs of cards.

"Don't get cocky; you might jinx yourself," he told me with a playful grin. "Do you want to make a bet out of this?"

I messed with the flashlight and put it so I could see everything a bit better. I looked at him suspiciously.

"What's the bet?"

He shrugged. "Slavery?" I suggested. He shot me a look.

"You really enjoy servants, don't you, Rima-chan?" he asked sarcastically, as he leaned onto the back of the couch. I shrugged.

"They can be helpful when necessary," I said. "Agreed?" Nagihiko's eyes gleamed, and he took my pinky and shook it.

"It's a promise."

"Queens?" I asked innocently as I started the game. And so it went. In all honesty, the game went by pretty fast.

"Any nines?" I asked him, holding only three cards in my hands. He had five. Nagihiko shook his head. I cursed mentally.

"Any fives?" I handed him my one five with a grumble, and he took it with a grin on his face. He then took off his three cards and created a book.

…Let's just say I said some not-so-pretty words under my breath. We were tied right now. I glanced at my cards. We had run out of the draw pile awhile ago.

"Just give me the sixes, Girly-Boy," I said, holding my hand out. Nagihiko gave me his two sixes, and I created a book.

"It's over," I muttered. Nagihiko nodded, looking amused.

"So who won?"

I counted my books; I had six. I groaned. Nagihiko opened his mouth to talk, and I waved him off, saying, "Shut up, Girly-Boy, I already know you've won."

Nagihiko smirked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Rima-chan, what did we say about being a sore loser?" he sang. I shoved him, and he laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls of my empty house. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed, and I whimpered.

"Rima-chan, are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned right after his insane laughing fit. I nodded slightly.

"I'm fine," I said stiffly. I sighed. "Seriously, how am I supposed to take a shower?" I moaned, changing the subject.

"Just wait it out or something, Rima-chan," he told me, looking amused. Well of course he'd find this hilarious, seeing as how he's already _taken_ a shower.

That's when my stomach growled, and I blushed. Nagihiko chuckled. "I'll get the rice."

I got up and landed on the couch with a thud. I collapsed on there and lay there, and Nagihiko returned and stared at me.

"Rima-chan, what are you doing?"

"Lying down peacefully," I told him, and then I glared at him. "That is, until you came back."

He rolled his eyes and handed me my bowl of rice. I touched it and frowned. "It's cold."

"Yeah, I know, do you want me to heat it up for you?" he said sarcastically. "Oh wait, whoops, we're having a power outage." I scowled.

I took my spoon and stuck into my mouth. "It's delicious, Nagihiko," I told him while rolling my eyes.

"Why thank you, Rima-chan," he said with a smirk on his face. I said nothing as I continued to chew on my rice. He hadn't mentioned anything about the bet, so maybe…

Hopefully, I didn't just jinx myself. Nagihiko looked at me with an amused expression in his eyes. "Anyways, Rima-chan, what are we going to do now?" he asked curiously. "It's nine o'clock now."

I played with the flashlight as I put down my bowl of rice. "I dunno."

Suddenly, another lightning bolt flashed across the sky, and I yelped. Shoot. Nagihiko looked at me, concerned.

"Rima-chan…?" I shook my head furiously.

"It's nothing," I stated. Nagihiko looked at me suspiciously, but just seemed to shrug it off.

I was bored out of my mind, and it was only nine o'clock. And since Nagihiko was still a bit suspicious, I should probably leave…I shook my head and got up. "I'm taking a shower."

"Rima-chan, that's dangerous! The lightning could travel through the metal pipes, and you could be electrocuted!" Nagihiko protested. I ignored him stubbornly. Of course he would know that.

"It'll take five minutes," I told him. He crossed his arms.

"You really shouldn't, and five minutes is enough time for it to kill you."

"Whatever, Nagihiko," I said as I marched off into the shower. I took a quick one, only lightly shampooing and conditioning my hair, and then quickly changed into my pajamas. I grimaced at the wet mess that was my hair, and I couldn't dry it because of the power outage…

I walked back outside, a bit refreshed from my quick shower. Nagihiko was reading again, and he looked up as I walked over to the couch.

"Congratulations, you're alive, and that by the way, was fifteen minutes."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" I asked, ignoring the last part. Nagihiko grinned.

"I'm not disappointed," he said defensively. I rolled my eyes and yawned. He raised an eyebrow. "Tired?"

I shrugged. "A bit," I mumbled. I was pretty tired, but only because I had stayed up reading gag manga last night…

"Which reminds me, where am I sleeping tonight?" he asked with a frown. I pointed downwards.

"The floor!" I said brightly.

"You're so generous, Rima-chan," he said wryly. I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Fine, you can have the sofa," I grumbled. Nagihiko smirked as I yawned again even louder than the last one.

"Stop smirking, you look like an evil girl about to attack me," I grumbled, and I snickered at his expression when I said girl.

I yawned harder this time, and Nagihiko's grin softened. "Do you want to sleep?"

I shrugged. "If it means less time with you, yes."

He pouted and feigned hurt. "Rima-chan, stop saying such hurtful comments!"

"You know I don't care," I said as I got up and went to the closet and brought out a pillow and a blanket and handed it to him. "I'm going upstairs."

Nagihiko nodded as he waved at me. "Er…Goodnight."

I nodded and waved him off. "Yeah, sure, goodnight evil cross-dresser." Nagihiko rolled his eyes and settled onto the sofa with a soft _thump_!

I got into bed and watched the raging storm outside. I hadn't really noticed how it had intensified while I had been talking to Nagihiko. I shuddered. I really hated lightning. And thunder. And rain. And Kusukusu wasn't here either… I closed my eyes and tried going to sleep, but every time I heard a boom of thunder, my eyes would flash open. I groaned and bit my lip.

I would lose my dignity and pride, but…

I crept down the stairs with my pillow in tow and peeked around the corner of the staircase. To my surprise (not really), the flashlight was still on, and I saw Nagihiko reading his book. I rolled my eyes. Of course _he_ would stay up late reading that stuff. Nagihiko looked up and saw me. He frowned, surprised.

"Rima-chan, I thought you were sleeping…?" he asked. I came down the stairs and sat down on the chair beside the sofa, and leaned back into the recliner.

"I felt bad that you had to sleep alone during a thunderstorm, so I came downstairs," I told him sweetly, blinking my eyes innocently. He smirked, but didn't press me.

"How kind of you," he said sarcastically, and he laughed. I sat back into the recliner and stared at the ceiling, and I listened to the flips of the pages as Nagihiko turned them.

_Flip, flip, flip_. I frowned, annoyed. "Nagihiko, I can't sleep if you keep flipping the pages," I said irritably. He pouted.

"But I'm not sleepy," he protested. I shot him a glare, and he sighed and put the book down.

"Girls are so temperamental."

"You would know," I replied smugly. He gave me a look, and then switched the flashlight off, and we were in total darkness. I said nothing, but flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, and I shivered.

"Rima-chan, are you awake?" Nagihiko whispered.

"No."

"I'm not sleepy," Nagihiko muttered. I grimaced and got out of my chair and walked over to the sofa with my hands on my hips.

"So what?"

"Let's play a game," Nagihiko suggested. I started to shake my head, but Nagihiko smirked.

"You're my slave, remember?" he said with a light grin on his face. I groaned and sat on the sofa.

"What do you want to play?" I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Truth or Dare," he replied innocently as he leaned back into the sofa with his hands behind his head. "I get to go first though."

"Fine," I muttered. "I pick truth."

Nagihiko tapped his finger thoughtfully against his cheek. "Are you scared of thunderstorms?"

I stiffened. "…Maybe."

Nagihiko crossed his arms and said, "Rima-chan, tell the truth."

"You sound like my mother," I told him scornfully, and I winced as thunder boomed in the background. "Yes…maybe a little bit," I said sulkily.

He grinned. "Is that why you came down here?" I frowned at him.

"You've already asked your question," I said accusingly. He rolled his eyes. "Truth or Dare?"

"…Truth, I suppose," he said with a thoughtful frown on his face.

I grinned evilly. "Do you secretly enjoy cross-dressing?"

He shot me a look. "Yes, Rima-chan, I have a secret love for it," he said sarcastically. I stared at him and shook my head.

"I knew it," I muttered. He gave me a look.

"Rima-chan, you know I'm kidding, right?" he asked, amused. I smiled innocently.

"Yeah, of course."

"Truth or Dare?" he asked with an evil twinkle in his eyes. I bit my lip. I hated dares, and if Nagihiko was doing it…Then no.

"Truth," I said with a soft sigh escaping from my lips. He smiled cheerfully and leaned onto his hand.

"So, why exactly did you come downstairs to sleep?"

I got up and peeked out the window and faced the raging storm outside, the same violent streaks of lightning flashing across the sky.

"Monsters," I mumbled as I sat back onto the couch. Nagihiko frowned and leaned closer.

"What?"

"Monsters," I said loudly. I glared at him. "When I was younger, I would flip out and think there were monsters in my closet. My parents would always come in and check on me," I said, biting my lip, irritated that I was telling _him_ this. "I got over it, but whenever a thunderstorm comes around, I still…freak out a bit. It's okay when Kusukusu is here, but she's probably sleeping in her egg with Temari and Rhythm."

Nagihiko was silent, and I sucked in a breath and kept going. "The reason is that, you know, my parents used to fight a lot, until some very…very _kind_ aunts and uncles forced them into marriage counseling," I said with wry grin. Nagihiko chuckled lightly. "That's why they're like they're now."

My eyes darkened again. "But, they would fight a lot, and it only got worse when there was no electricity to distract them," I said staring at the window. "I thought for sure the monsters would get me, since they were too busy to 'protect me', and now that I think about it, the only time they _would_ get along was when they found out I was scared."

"I guess right now I'm just reliving the memories, and I have…retained some of those fears."

Nagihiko smiled gently after a little while. "It's okay to be scared, Rima-chan," he said with a slight grin. "You could've told me," he said teasingly. I frowned at him.

"I just told you one of my deepest secrets, and you're already making fun of me," I said huffily. Nagihiko grinned.

"Well, you've got my secret, and I've got yours," he said with a wink.

"Except, if you tell my secret, I'm going to kill you in your sleep!" I said cheerfully. Nagihiko frowned.

"Rima-chan, you're being violent again," he scolded. Truthfully, I was relieved to have gotten off topic. I was about to retort, until I yawned. I glanced at the clock again.

"Eleven o'clock?" I muttered, surprised. Nagihiko sighed.

"Even so, we really didn't do anything for the project because of this stupid blackout," Nagihiko said unhappily. I shrugged.

"No, actually, _somebody_ had a temper tantrum and destroyed parts of the project," I said with a smirk, and Nagihiko smiled sheepishly. I gazed back out the window, and watched the flashes of light go on and off, on and off. I turned my head back around and was surprised to see a dozing Nagihiko. I glared at him.

"Hasn't he ever heard the term of 'ladies first'?" I grumbled.

He breathed softly, his dark, indigo hair splayed around him. He was leaning back onto the couch, and I sighed. I pushed his head onto a pillow and dragged a blanket around him.

"…Sorry," he mumbled tiredly as he turned around on the couch. I rolled my eyes. I watched him for another minute, and then turned around and curled into the recliner.

I opened one eye and watched Nagihiko sleep deeply, and he was starting to snore. So he couldn't even shut up while unconscious, huh? I smirked, and then I whispered softly:

"Goodnight, Girly-Boy."

* * *

_Ha ha, seriously, I updated this three days ago. I just love writing this story though... D:_

_Anyways, this was...interesting, I guess. I had many failed attempts at trying to be fluffy, so...Yeah. ;) It was fun for me, and I also got to FINALLY show you guys the reason why Rima's parents aren't divorced, so yay! XD_

_To my wonderful reviewers!_

_muzikchic4eva: Aw, thank you! I'm not all that good at writing fluff, but still, thanks. :) _

_Rikan Shirokura the Shugotard: Ha ha, thanks! Nikaidou stalks them because he's cool. ;) Aw, Rhythm loves ya too. :3 Ha ha, I think all fangirls would do that contest, no? (PS: Ooooh. XD)_

_DinosaursgoRawr101: Aw, thanks for the nice review. :3_

_Aquatwin: Ha ha, aw, thank you! I pitied Nagihiko, since he's so gentlemanly, and Rhythm's...Not. XD Ha ha, thanks for reviewing!_

_KidTantei: :) I liked writing her. Obsessive and kind fans are uncommon nowadays. D: I'll try, ha ha. Thank you for the nice review, by the way. ;)_

_azuashihiko: Ha ha, thanks, glad you liked it. No, I don't look like that waitress, but now that I think about it, it probably would've been easier using somebody I actually knew... D: ;)_

_Riri-chi: Aw, thank you! Hm, dunno about a twist in this chapter, but a twist'll happen... ;) Aw, your stories are awesome too, and I'm not kidding about it either. :3_

_Hip hip hooray for updates! *cheers* _

_Anyways, thanks for reading, and y'know, if you could just drop a comment or something?_

_It's not required, but it's APPRECIATED by me! :3 _

_Ha ha, okay, but hopefully you liked this, and thanks for reading!_

_-forever blue skies-_


	7. Day 5: Demonic Twins

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_I wish I owned Shugo Chara!, but I don't. :(  
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I blinked sleepily as I shot up and looked around groggily. The living room? Why was I in here…?

I leaned back, and last night hit me again. I groaned and placed the pillow back over my face. Which means he's still here too, isn't he?

"Ah, Rima-chan, you should wake up." I lowered the pillow and stared straight into amber eyes.

"Meh," I said as I replaced the pillow on its rightful spot: on top of my face. I'm betting if I hadn't done that, I would've seen him silently laughing.

"Is the electricity back?" I asked as he dragged me off of the recliner. He shook his head.

"Pretty intense storm; the power's still out, and it's ten o'clock," he replied. I let loose a breath and then looked at him. Still in my dad's huge shirt, but his hair was brushed.

"No food?" I inquired. Nagihiko shook his head.

"Unless you want Ritz crackers," he said with a light-hearted grin, tossing me a pack, which I watched as it fell onto the floor.

"Rima-chan, you do realize you were supposed to catch that, right?" Nagihiko asked with a slight smile on his face.

"I'm not athletic," I said bluntly. "And catching is not one of my talents."

I picked up the crackers and nibbled on it. Nagihiko rubbed the back of his head, and was frowning at the ceiling, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I could've sworn I was supposed to tell you something…" he muttered. I looked up expectantly.

He snapped his fingers. "Oh, right, your parents aren't coming home till…three, four o'clock?"

I shrugged. "Whatever." Nagihiko bit his lip, and smiled at me sheepishly.

"Er, Rima-chan, since you really don't have plans for today…"

"Who said I didn't?" I asked defiantly, crossing my arms. He looked at me.

"Do you?"

"No," I mumbled. "But you didn't have to jump to conclusions either."

He smiled gently, but it quickly turned back to the original expression. "Well, anyways, could you do me a favor?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"What is it?"

He smiled and then started pushing me up the stairs. "Just go get changed, and I'll…I'll just do…I'll just wear my clothes from yesterday or something," he said, exasperated.

"I'm so sorry that my father's clothes messed up your _incredible_ fashion sense, Nagihiko," I said sarcastically as I kept walking up the stairs. I changed into a simple blue dress and started brushing my messy blond curls. I put my usual hairband in and walked down the stairs. Nagihiko was waiting downstairs, glancing at his watch nervously. Rhythm and Temari floated around his head, and he whispered to them. Both instantly paled.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's got you so hurried?" He shook his head. Kusukusu giggled, as if she knew something I didn't.

"I'm not hurried," he replied as he took my hand and practically dragged me out the door, locking it behind him. I paused and stared at him.

"Holy crap, when'd you get the keys to my house?" I asked, watching him turn it expertly. He looked up in surprise.

"Your mom gave them to me for some reason," he said thoughtfully, as if he'd never thought it through before.

"Thanks Mom, you've just given a cross-dresser full access to our house," I muttered. Nagihiko was silent, but his expression screamed that he was laughing at me.

Have I _ever _mentioned that he is a perfect jerk?

I walked down the steps ahead of him, and he fell into step beside me. "So what are we doing?"

"We're going to my house, and…I'll explain the rest there…" he replied with a mischievous smile. I stopped in my tracks and glared at him.

"Then I'm not going, unless you tell me."

He shook his head. "I won 'Go Fish' remember? You're my slave, so let's go," he sang as he dragged me along the sidewalk.

He hummed softly to himself as he walked, an almost peaceful expression coming over his face. I frowned. Now that I think about it, he often hummed that, or whistled that tune…I wonder why…?

"Nagihiko, what's that song you always sing?" I asked casually. Nagihiko visibly stiffened, and I glanced at him.

"Nothing," he said hastily, and he started walking faster.

"Nagihiko, slow down! I'm not as fast as you!" I panted as I ran after him. He blinked and slowed down, as if he was lost in his own memories.

"Oh, ha, well, we're here!" he said with fake excitement. I put my hands on my hips and looked at him. He laughed awkwardly.

"Well, y'see, you know those guests that we have over…Well, they're my cousins," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "My aunt and my mother are out, and they wanted me to babysit."

"You're making me help babysit?" I mumbled. Rhythm and Temari shuddered as one.

"They're evil!" Rhythm wailed. "I am obviously a boy, and they still dress me up. _Not cool._"

Temari nodded in agreement, shivering. "They've dirtied my kimono multiple times as well!"

Nagihiko sighed, and said, "They tend to be a bit…rough."

I nodded but then stood still as the realization set in. "We're _babysitting?_ No offense, but I'm no good with kids."

Nagihiko grinned, but it seemed almost...different. "Trust me, _nobody_ is good with these kids, except for, according to my aunt, me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Nagihiko paled, and by now, Rhythm was snickering. "His cousins…" Before Rhythm could even finish, the gate slammed open, and I jumped. I saw a flash of indigo hair, which I was assuming was Nagihiko's…

I was wrong.

They were like two mini Nagihikos, except they were both girls. Long, dark hair was pulled back into high ponytails, and long eyelashes surrounded their large, innocent amber eyes.

"Nagi-kun!" they squealed. Then they practically gaze-strangled each other and I watched them practically climb Nagihiko.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, Mitsuki-chan," he said with a (forced) smile. Then they turned their gaze on me, and their eyes widened and their mouths dropped.

"So pretty, like a doll," they whispered, and I held back the temptation of saying something 'not doll like'. Honestly, they were just like my fanboys. Nagihiko shook his head, clearly amused (and slightly scared) of their expressions.

"Rima-chan, these two are my cousins, Sakura-chan and Mitsuki-chan. Twins, and they're both five," he told me. I nodded.

"At least they're _actual_ twins," I said vaguely, and Nagihiko stiffened beside me. I snickered. The twins' eyes flared and became alit with flame, and their appearance transformed from cute, innocent toddlers to demon chibis.

Alright, I now see Nagihiko's point on where it is slightly scary to see a tiny person get all possessive and all. That's when the realization hit me. It all fit, in a way, I suppose. Nagihiko's nervousness, Rhythm's snickering, and I couldn't help but start giggling.

"You're cousins are just like Utau-san, aren't they?" I asked, trying to suppress my snickers. Nagihiko's already stiff posture froze up even more, if possible. Bulls-eye.

"Ah, well, yes, and in a way, they're slightly worse," he said, and he seemed uncomfortable.

"Worse how?" I asked suspiciously. They were only five; it's not like they could do _that_ much.

He shifted from foot to foot, even more uncomfortable, but it was as if it was for _my _sake, not _his. _"They…They tend to be a bit…possessive."

"Who are you?" one of them asked, her hands on her hips. Her twin copied her, and they surrounded Nagihiko with a murderous aura. And I'm violent? Try the twin demons.

"A bit?" I asked wryly. He shrugged helplessly. Oh sure, he can attack a couple of X-eggs no problem, but when it comes to a pair of evil five-year olds, he's helpless. Oh yeah, he's a real 'man'.

"So, is there a way to tell which is which, or am I screwed?" I asked as we all entered their still massive house. Nagihiko tapped his cheek thoughtfully, and then ran off to _somewhere_ inside of this massive house, leaving me alone with the demon twins.

The girls smiled at me sweetly, but I saw right through it. Their eyes were…Well, they were ticked, basically speaking. Their eyes were narrowed into amber slits, and the sweet smile was forced. I nearly choked.

"What in the world is so good about a cross-dresser?" I wondered under my breath. Then I turned back around and faced them, and as pleasantly as possible (for me), I said, "Er, could you repeat your names for me?"

The twin on the right pointed at herself and said cutely, "I'm Mitsuki."

The twin on the left grinned widely and then cried out, "I'm Sakura."

And then they started chasing each other, which quite frankly, I never understood the point of doing, but little kids loved it, supposedly. I hung my head in my hands. They were _exactly_ alike, and they were even wearing matching clothes.

I sighed and sat down into a chair, leaning back into it. We were in…the living room, I think. I watched them run around, that when the…the…one of them accidentally tripped and fell. _On air._ I guess we know which one is most like Amu.

I ran over to help, taking her hand and pulling her back up. She was sniffling, and then she started full out sobbing.

"Onee-chan, why would you do that?" she wailed. The other one started crying too, and I was dumbfounded. What do you do when a pair of five-year old girls start crying? I'd suggest you'd run.

Nagihiko ran in, looking panicked. I hissed at him, "What do I do?" Nagihiko just walked over and hugged them, and the crying stopped immediately. They grinned happily and hugged him back tightly.

"Here, Rima-chan," he said, handing me two ribbons, a purple one and a pink one. "Just use that to tie up their hair, and then you can tell who's who." I handed it back to him.

"You do it," I retorted. He raised an eyebrow.

"You're a _girl_," he pointed out. "Why me?"

"Because I hate manual labor," I told him, "And I'm not good at hair."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" he asked curiously as he tied up each girl's hair. They looked at me jealously as I talked to Nagihiko. I was choking on the inside; who'd want to talk to a cross-dresser?

"My hair's all curly and knotted," I said with a frown as I tugged on a strand. "It's long and pretty annoying to wash and brush all day, and besides, their hair is straight."

Nagihiko shrugged. "So? It's…pretty," he said, tilting his head as he looked at my hair. Before I could say anything back, I felt a little girl tugging on my dress and I looked down.

"Oh, the girl with the pink ribbon is Sakura-chan, and the purple one is Mitsuki-chan," Nagihiko added as the two girls smiled widely.

"Onee-chan, let's play dolls," they begged as they dragged me off, while I clamped onto Nagihiko and pulled him with me.

"If I'm going down with the demon twins, so are you," I said firmly, and he just shook his head, smiling crookedly.

We eventually entered, what I was guessing, the guest room. Two twin sized beds, and everything was neatly stacked, and not one thing was out of place.

…Sadly, the same can't be said for my room. The both smiled as they got out three dolls. Two similar dolls with indigo hair, and one blonde doll with long curly hair, who was…unnaturally small, and I shuddered. Nagihiko had gone off into a corner to go read, leaving me behind again.

Mitsuki-chan gave me the blonde doll with big innocent eyes. "Nagi-kun, we need you to be here to play!" Sakura-chan whined. Nagihiko came over reluctantly and sat down next to me, and the twins didn't let that fact slip by them.

"Ah, but Nagihiko doesn't have a doll," I pointed out as sweetly as possible, ignoring his glare. The girls shared a thoughtful look, and then both clapped as they came up with a solution.

"Ah, Nagi-kun, you'll just have to act!" Mitsuki-chan said happily.

"You'll have to crouch real low though to play," Sakura-chan added. I snickered, and Nagihiko crouched at their command, grimacing.

I patted his head, and said, "Aw look Nagihiko, now I'm taller than you!"

"Ha ha, Rima-chan," he said sarcastically as he stopped crouching and just lied down on the floor. "Can I just do this?"

Both girls nodded happily. "I'm so happy Nagi-kun is playing with us!" they both chimed together. "And Onee-chan," one of them added, a scary twinkle in their eye.

"Nagihiko, they're not just possessive; they're creepy," I whispered to him, and he chuckled weakly on the floor.

"Nagi-kun, I love you!" one of them cried out, moving their doll and accidentally stabbing him in the face with her foot. He winced, either from the comment or the foot, I'm not really sure.

"Nuh-uh, I love him more!" the other argued, both fighting with the dolls right in front of Nagihiko's face. I was about to bust out laughing; these girls were definitely like Utau-san.

"This must amuse you so much," he muttered. I nodded, pressing my lips together tightly.

"You've got some lovely cousins, Nagihiko," I said with a slight laugh in my voice.

"Your dad isn't any better," he said with a grin. My laughter faltered and I glowered at him.

"Will you ever let that go?"

"I had to cross-dress the whole time!" he protested. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You had to cross-dress for most of your _life_," I scoffed, and he pouted. The twins continued fighting and I said nothing, trying to stifle my laughter. Nagihiko propped himself up carefully, so as not to get himself stabbed in the eye again.

I put down my own doll, wrinkling my nose at it. I had always hated dolls; they were creepy. They weren't alive, but they still looked like us…Well, at least a little bit like humans.

"How do they have a doll that looks exactly like me anyways?" I inquired as I sat down on one of the beds and observed them as they fought over Nagihiko, who wasn't even there anymore.

Nagihiko twirled his hair and whistled innocently. "No idea," he said pleasantly. Before I could say anything, he got up and checked his watch. "Ah, it's noon. We should probably go cook," he muttered to himself.

"Nagihiko, did you know that talking to yourself is one of the first signs of insanity?" I asked, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

"Aw, then you should go to therapy Rima-chan, you might need it," he replied with a wink. I scowled at him.

"Hilarious," I mumbled. Both girls suddenly came up and tugged on my dress, their eyes wide and pleading.

"Onee-chan, I'm hungry," they groaned. "I want cookies! Cookies like my mama bakes them!"

And that's when their eyes flashed, and I saw a flash of evil in them, "And I want them to be cooked by Onee-chan."

I paled. Cooking and I definitely did not agree. This was demonstrated last night, and I was not eager to try again. Nagihiko chuckled to himself.

"Alright, you two can go watch cartoons, and me and Rima-chan will cook, okay?" he said pleasantly, and both girls latched onto him tightly, and then ran off to the TV. As Nagihiko walked out the door, I felt another light tap, and I looked down.

Mitsuki-chan whispered, "Don't you dare steal him from us. We don't approve of you." Sakura-chan was far ahead, but her amber eyes were dark and evil. Then they both skipped into the living room. I watched their retreating shadows, and then I walked into the kitchen.

Nagihiko was mixing stuff inside of a bowl, and when I entered his eyebrows furrowed. "Something wrong?"

I shook my head, disturbed. And then I turned towards him. "You must be _such _a chick magnet with those cousins."

He mixed faster and turned towards me. "They gave you the talk, didn't they?"

"Okay, first, don't say it like that," I said in disgust. He rolled his eyes.

"Rima-chan's a pervert," he mumbled, stirring the stuff even faster. I turned red and stuck my tongue out at him.

"You just said it weird!" I protested. "As for the 'talk'…Yeah. Well, kind of, at least…" Nagihiko nodded understandingly.

"They should give you the rest of it later," he said thoughtfully.

"So you're used to this pattern?" I asked curiously. He shrugged.

"Relatively speaking," he said back. "I try not to invite girls over when they're here…"

Then he turned towards me curiously. "Aren't you supposed to be making cookies for the twins?" I froze.

"I can't cook, and you know it!" I cried out. "I don't even know what cookies their mom makes!"

He grinned as he went over to the fridge and took out a slim package. I raised an eyebrow. "My aunt uses prebaked, but they don't know," he told me with a sly grin.

"That's…that's cheap," I told him. He shrugged.

"It works. This'll be easier on you anyways, since even you can't mess up prebaked cookies," he said doubtfully. "Right?"

"I'm not stupid; I can follow directions when necessary," I grumbled as I snatched the package out of his hands.

"Sugar cookies," I read aloud. I wrinkled my nose. "Ew, who eats these anymore?"

"Lots of people," he retorted. "You don't like sugar cookies, and yet you adore frosting? That's weird, Rima-chan," he said with a laugh.

"Chocolate chip is better," I said simply. "It's a known fact; it's the dunking cookie!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Chocolate chip is so…typical," he replied. "Besides, I thought the dunking cookie was Oreos."

"Oreos jacked that title from chocolate chip cookies," I said scornfully as I took out the dough.

He grinned, but didn't say anything as he kept mixing whatever the heck was inside the bowl. He whistled, and I recognized the tune from this morning, which I had already asked what it was, and had gotten no answer.

"So, are you ever going to answer my question from this morning?" I asked as I read the instructions while scowling. I hated cooking with a passion.

"What question?" he asked, turning around. "You ask a lot."

I shot him a glare as I preheated the oven. Or tried to, at least. "The one about the song, and your oven sucks."

"Thanks, Rima-chan," he said. "I'll preheat it." He pressed the buttons, but I didn't let slip the fact he never answered.

"Well?" I asked him impatiently. He didn't notice, and he seemed to be lost again. I frowned, seeing as how a lost Nagihiko was uncommon. He's been acting weird all day, especially since I mentioned that song. I waved my hands in front of his face.

"Oi, Girly-Boy, you there?" I asked, hands on my hips. He snapped out of his reverie, and looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, sorry, Rima-chan," he said with a playful grin. "Did you want something?"

I face-palmed and muttered, "You're avoiding the question, aren't you?"

"No more questions, Rima-chan," he said brightly. I raised an eyebrow, expecting a good reason _not _to continue my intense interrogation.

"Why?"

"'Cause I said so, and you're my slave," he replied. I stiffened. Shoot, he won Go Fish yesterday.

"Fine," I growled as I heard the oven beep repeatedly. I pushed the rack inside, but accidentally…burned myself. Crap.

I bit my lip to keep from whimpering. I small one escaped anyways. Nagihiko looked up from his cracking eggs and I quickly hid my hand behind my back. He came up to me and held out his hand.

"C'mon, give me your hand," he said sternly. I sulked and brought my hand out, wincing at his touch.

"Don't you know you're supposed to use oven mitts when you're putting stuff into ovens?" he scolded as he dragged me over to the sink.

"I do now," I mumbled. He put my hand under cold water, letting its coolness soak into my hand.

"Stay here," he ordered, and he walked over and started searching for a bandage. I watched the water pour out of the nozzle. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nagihiko do something, but when I finally did try to see, he had already stopped. Nagihiko walked back over and turned off the tap and made me sit down in a chair while he kneeled.

"Why do you have to kneel?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He grinned evilly.

"Because you're too short otherwise," he replied. I gave him a dirty look. Then I heard resounding footsteps, and two heads popped into the kitchen, and they both gaped at us. I nearly groaned.

I was sitting in a chair, and Nagihiko was 'holding my hand' (ahem, it was a bandage, a _bandage_), and he was _kneeling. _If that doesn't look like a proposal, then you're insane.

Nagihiko seemed to register the fact too, and quickly jumped up, and started smiling awkwardly again, which really seemed to help in these situations.

Not.

They're murderous auras increased and I watched nonchalantly. So this I how I looked when I got ticked…I never really knew.

However, it was slightly disturbing to see it on two pudgy toddler faces. "I burned my hand, and he was putting a bandage on," I said shortly. Their eyes screamed _Liar!_

"Oh, I see," Sakura-chan said understandingly. Mitsuki-chan nodded kindly, and that's when I noticed Nagihiko walk over to the oven secretly, taking out the cookies. He winked at me, smirking. I wanted to go over there and smack him upside the head (but then again, when don't I?), but I had to admit, I was thankful he actually remembered the cookies, since I certainly didn't.

"Ah, look, Rima-chan finished the cookies," he said cheerfully. They were golden brown on the edges, and when the girls ate them, their faces lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Ah, thank you Onee-chan!" they cheered, hugging Nagihiko.

"Since Rima-chan made the cookies, shouldn't you be hugging her…?" he protested, which they dutifully ignored, much to my relief. I didn't need a pair of identicals hugging me.

"Why don't you go back to the TV, lunch will be done soon," he said kindly. "And don't eat all the cookies!" he added as they ran off. Once he was sure they were gone, he went back to the oven and took out a second rack. It was charcoal, and I frowned.

"Why'd you put charcoal in the oven?"

He laughed breezily. "These were cookies, or to be specific, your cookies," he said with a grin. My jaw nearly dropped.

"But, didn't you just give…?" I trailed off, pointing in the direction of the twins faintly. He shook his head, clearly amused.

"No, I put in another batch since I thought you'd let yours burn," he teased. "I was right."

"Thanks for thinking of me so highly," I said dryly. He looked surprised.

"Of course I think of you highly," he said with an honest smile. "What did you think that meant?"

"You're making fun of disability of cooking," I said curtly.

His smile was gentle as he turned around and started turning on the stove. "That's not what I meant when I was doing that."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Well then, what did you mean?" I asked impatiently.

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "That just means…I've always got your back, no matter what happens," he said simply. "It's…symbolic, I suppose." I blinked.

"W-what kind of person uses cookies as an analogy for that?" I stammered, turning away from him stubbornly.

"But thanks," I said reluctantly. "Now your cousins like me a bit better."

"Eh, not for anything else?" he said, feigning hurt. "Even after I made such a wonderful statement," he muttered with a dry smile.

"…There's no point in thanking you for something I already knew," I said eventually, watching him cook the eggs, turning pink. He looked surprised, but he smiled anyways, and thankfully, he didn't say anything back.

"Ah, Rima-chan, could you turn off the rice cooker for me?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really want to try that?" I asked.

"…I-I'll do it," he said with a weak sigh. "You really can't do anything that has to do with cooking, can you?"

I shrugged as he finished making the food. I watched him as he took out some meat and eggs, and put it on top of the rice.

"What, no vegetables?" I asked, not generally taking Nagihiko as one to skip something like that. His expression was sheepish.

"Er…They don't like vegetables," he said. "So I leave them out."

"You're a wimp who's scared of five-year old girls," I told him, and he hung his head. Then he just got back up with another one of his annoying smiles and handed me a few bowls.

"C'mon, time to eat," he said cheerfully as he walked to the living room.

"I thought you were scared of your cousins?" I asked with a frown, seeing as how his mood completely changed.

He paused and turned towards me, twirling his hair again, one of his habits. "I'm not really scared, more worried, I guess. But I'm not worried about me…I'm kind of worried about you," he said with a chuckle.

"Me? What can two five-year olds do?" I asked with a scoff. He paused.

"Rima-chan, there's a reason why when they visit, nobody else does," he replied with a weak smile. "Actually, you've already experienced a bit of it."

"What do you..." I trailed off when I realized we were being watched by the same pair of amber eyes of which I was talking to right now.

"Lunch time…?" Nagihiko said with fake happiness as he set down the bowls.

"No vegetables too," I muttered under my breath. "Pushover." Nagihiko ignored that comment.

"Oh yeah, ne, Nagi-kun, where are your…" Mitsuki-chan's face scrunched up in thought. "Super charas?"

I could almost hear the scream of horror that Rhythm and Temari were soon to yell. Now that I think about it, Rhythm and Temari kidnapped Kusukusu and dragged her down another hallway, most likely to Nagihiko's room…

"Oh, they're…absent today," Nagihiko said, and then hastily changing the subject, he asked, "Is it good?" They both nodded.

"Anything Nagi-kun makes…is…good," Sakura-chan said, nodding off. Then she shook her head, trying to clear her head. Mitsuki-chan was already dozing.

"Do you guys want a nap?" he asked, clearly laughing at their efforts to stay awake.

Mitsuki-chan started. "No, I'm not tired at all—"she said, but was quickly interrupted by her sister's loud yawn. I stifled my laughter, since that definitely backfired.

"Ne, Rima-chan, can you help me prepare them for a nap?" Nagihiko asked as he picked up both of them and put them on his back.

"You make it sound like you're attending their funeral, like a dirt nap," I told him, and both snorted in their sleep. He slapped his hand onto my mouth.

"Shh! You'll wake them!" he hissed. I immediately shut up. We walked to their rooms and set each in their respective colors.

"Finally," I muttered. On the way out, I nearly tripped, and when I looked down, I saw a curl of blonde. I shuddered.

It was the head of the 'Rima' doll.

I picked it up by its hair and shoved in Nagihiko's face. "If I die, I'm telling my parents to sue," I said curtly.

"Ah, that pattern again…?" he said, scratching his head. I gave him a dirty look.

"Pattern? Care to tell me what that is?"

"Ah, well…You'll see, since it'll probably happen soon," he responded as he sat on the sofa and leaned back. I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

"Nagi-kun, Onee-chan! I want a story!" I cringed.

"Is that what you meant?" I asked, pointing towards the voice. He nodded slightly.

"I had hoped they had really fallen asleep, but when I saw the torn doll…Well, like I said, the pattern is usually the same," he said as he hauled me back to the room. "We should go, since we don't really have a choice…"

"Tell us a story," Mitsuki-chan whined. They both crawled in front of us, their eyes big and pleading.

I turned towards Nagihiko. "Well?"

He shook his head. "You tell it!"

"You're their cousin," I pointed out. "I don't know crap about them!" He tsked me.

"Don't use that language around five-year olds," he scolded. "You'll influence them."

"They're already influenced," I hissed back. "Don't you remember _my _torn head?" He frowned.

"That was a doll," he retorted. "Although there isn't much of a difference height-wise," he said playfully. I gave him a sharp glare.

"Rima onee-chan, can you tell us a story about a princess?" Sakura-chan asked, begging. I stared down at them and nearly winced. So this was the so-called 'puppy-eyes' that Amu talks about.

In my opinion, puppy-eyes are the cover they require to hide the evil behind them. But I suppose I had no choice. "A…princess?"

I always hated fairy tales. They were fake, all of them. Life didn't always have happy endings, and rarely does everything come out exactly the way you want…Life doesn't become…

Perfect.

"There once was a princess who was stuck in a castle with a stupid long-haired prince," I said, and Nagihiko cringed.

"Rima-chan," he began, but the twins shushed him, clearly something that doesn't happen often.

"Nagi, no interrupting!" they both cried out, shooting him a look. He waved his hands defensively, but I didn't miss the surprise in his eyes.

"Rima onee-chan, can the princess look like me?" they asked, eyes sparkling. I said a not pretty word under my breath.

"Er…Why?" I asked.

They frowned. "Isn't the long-haired prince Nagi-kun?" they asked. "So I should be the princess."

They glared at each other. "Me!"

"No me!"

"Me!" they both shrieked. I was panicking. If I didn't calm them down, they wouldn't be tired anymore…

"Um, well, okay, there were once two princesses, and one long-haired prince. Because the prince was a total cheater, he dated both," I said, crossing my arms triumphantly, ignoring Nagihiko's look.

"Eh, we both get Nagi-kun?" they whispered, excited. I face-palmed, since they seemed to be missing the point that he was cheating on them, but then again, they were pretty young…

"Sure, and they all lived their strangely messed up lives happily ever after," I said, officially ending the story.

"There was no middle, no climax," he said with a frown. "How can you end it?"

I pointed at the two already sleeping girls. "They're sleeping already, and besides…it was already a happy ending, so why not?"

He smiled cheerfully. "Aw, Rima-chan, that's so sweet." I made a face at him. He was silent for a little while, as if thinking. "Y'know, Rima-chan…if you ever need help, or if you're ever scared, you can rely on people…"

"Is this because of last night?" I asked suspiciously. He just grinned.

"Well, just remember, I've got your back," he said with a wink. I looked at him haughtily.

"And I said I already knew," I retorted, turning away from him and dragging him to his room. "Let's go do the project. If I don't get an A, it's on your head," I threatened.

"I feel so needed," he said with a soft sigh. "Or used," he added.

As soon as I entered Nagihiko's room, I back away from it and bumped into Nagihiko. I pointed into it shakily. "What the heck happened to your room?"

He laughed. "Er, well, you know since they were here, I had to read a lot of stories and bring out a lot of toys…"

Nagihiko's normally clean room was littered everywhere with fairy tale books, dolls, toys, and you could hardly walk without stepping on something. "Are they the reason why you wanted to sleepover at my house so badly?" I asked, picking up a teddy bear by its ear.

"No, I really wanted to be with you, Rima-chan," he said with a sweet smile.

I noticed the headphones around his neck and said absent-mindedly, "So the wimpy male chara has returned, hm?" Temari and Kusukusu laughed while Rhythm fell onto the ground from lack of…flying.

"Not cool man!" he protested. I gave him a look.

"I am _not _a man," I retorted, picking him off from the ground. "Now undo the chara change on Nagihiko before he gets really flirty, like Ikuto," I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Whatever," he said with a big grin as he snapped his fingers, and the headphones disappeared.

"Ah, but y'know, you stopped blushing whenever Rhythm does something like that…" Temari said.

Kusukusu shook her head. "Rima can control herself to prevent blushing!" she said with a loud giggle.

I shrugged, ignoring Kusukusu as she did cartwheels. "No, I've just gotten used to his stupid comments when he's like that."

Rhythm fell again, and Nagihiko, oblivious to what happened, blinked. I stepped on the corner of a book, and it stabbed my foot sharply. I picked it up, tempted to hurl it across the room. But I hesitated after seeing the title.

"Cinderella," I said as I looked at it. Nagihiko glanced up from where he was on his bed and walked over.

"Ah, they love this story…For some reason, they find magic and romance are a perfect combination," he told me as he sat back on the bed. I sat down next to him as he flipped through the pages.

"Why?" I asked. "The chance of something like that happening is about one out of a thousand."

"Maybe that's why," he said. "After all, Cinderella was an ordinary girl at first as well. Isn't it comforting to know that maybe you can get an ending like her?" he asked. "An ordinary girl…who became a princess in the end, isn't it nice to dream like that? Besides, you remind me of Cinderella."

"Eh, why?" I asked him, crossing my arms. He smiled secretively.

I decided I would answer the first question first. "No…Because happy endings hardly exist," I muttered. "The only reason I did one for those two was because they were five."

"That's because people didn't try to get them in the first place," he said after a little while. "You know the feeling, don't you?"

I stared at him, stunned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you tried very hard to get your parents together again…Maybe that's why your parents are still together," he pointed out. His eyes and smile became sad, and he said something under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked him suspiciously. He grinned, his mood back to the usual one: playful and irritating.

"Nothing," he replied as he took out the textbooks. "We're going to have to do the essay first because the materials for the actual model…are kind of…"

"Broken? Damaged? Something you can never fix?" I suggested with a sweet smile, each one stabbing Nagihiko's heart. "Something that Nagihiko stabbed with a naginata?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he mumbled guiltily. I smirked, but picked up the textbook and started reading. Right now, I wished _I_ was five. I wrote a few notes here and there, but eventually shut it.

"Do you know when we're actually going to write the essay?" I asked him. His face turned thoughtful.

"We're supposed to type it, but we have to compile all of the necessary information to make a proper paper," he responded. "This data is important for the electrical field too…"

"Fine," I grumbled. The minutes dragged by, making the hour seem even longer than before.

I stretched as I got off of the bed and looked at the clock on his wall. "Only an hour has gone by since the twins went to sleep…"

I turned around, but then Nagihiko's head whipped towards the clock. "Ah, it's almost six-thirty! I promised to have your parents back by seven o'clock!"

He picked me up and ran out the door. I beat on his back, yelling, "Nagihiko, let me down!"

Little pattering foots followed after us, and both figures froze and started twitching. If you've never seen a twitchy five-year old, I recommend you go find one. It's pretty funny.

"Nagi-kun, can we talk to Rima onee-chan for a minute?" they pleaded, obviously not taking no for an answer as they took me into a closet. What is it with Fujisakis and closets?

"Onee-chan, do you like Nagi-kun?" Sakura-chan asked. I nearly choked on my own spit. Luckily, Mitsuki-chan answered for me.

"Of course she does, it's Nagi-kun!" Mitsuki-chan scoffed.

I decided I might as well play along, seeing as how if I didn't, I wouldn't be getting out of this closet anytime soon. "And if I do?"

They shared a look and then stared at me. I backed away warily. "What?"

Mitsuki-chan picked up a mallet and together with Sakura-chan, they banged it on the wall, hard. "We approve!"

I watched them for about a minute, a blank look on my face. "Eh?"

"Well, we approve, I guess," Mitsuki-chan said sourly. "It seems Nagi-kun cares about you a lot, and your cookies were delicious!" she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Besides that, your fairy tale was really nice too," Sakura-chan added with a smile.

"Therefore," they chorused, "We approve! You can take care of Nagi-kun while we're not here! Make sure no girls get close to him, stuff like that. In fact, as payment, you can date him while we're gone…"

I nearly strangled them and myself. I could feel myself going red, either from anger or disgust, I'm not quite sure.

"Ah, I guess meeting adjourned," Sakura-chan said as she dropped the mallet. "Ah, but, if you _ever_ kiss him, you're going to end up like that doll," Mitsuki-chan said with an evil glint in her eyes.

And cue creepy music, because I could feel one of those evil laughs coming on in this atmosphere. I gaped after them as they left the closet and Nagihiko looked up from where he was sitting on the couch.

"Is…everything okay?" Nagihiko asked hesitantly. I shook my head, dragging him out the door.

"I don't even want to talk about it," I told him. But when I turned around, I saw them both waving after us, and their smiles weren't fake, but they were truly…happy.

"That is exactly what I mean when I say kids are a pain," I whispered to him, but I reluctantly, I waved at them as well.

We walked in silence, and Nagihiko watched me curiously. I refused to even speak to him, since that conversation with the twins made me feel…weird. Besides that fact, when the twins had finished taking their naps, all of the charas went into their eggs.

Nagihiko absent-mindedly started humming, but I didn't comment. I listened to it carefully. An almost sad melody, but happiness was interlaced into it.

It was almost like hope in song-form. I watched him as he stared at the sky, walking along at a comfortable pace.

"Ah, my house," I said, pointing.

Nagihiko jumped. "Whoa, we didn't fight at all on the way here," he said, shocked. I nodded my head in agreement.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what happened in the closet?" he wondered. I turned red.

"No way, it was private!" I said sharply, turning away from him defiantly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him raise his hands in apology.

"Sorry for asking," he said with a light laugh in it. A memory sparked in my mind.

_Sorry…_

I shook my head. That thought could wait for now. "Besides, you didn't tell me much today either," I pointed out.

His smile was cheerful as he shrugged. "Sorry, but, it's probably best you don't know anyways…It's not all that important."

He started walking away. "Bye-bye, Rima-chan—"he stopped abruptly as I caught his wrist.

Without looking at him, I told him, "I know you have my back…But don't forget that I have yours too."

Nagihiko looked…like a gaping fish, if anything. I was offended. I wasn't _that _heartless. Then he hugged me, and whispered in my ear, "Thanks, Rima-chan."

He then waved back at me as he jogged off to his house and I crossed my arms as I watched him leave. "Idiot, why'd he hug me," I mumbled to myself. I rolled my shoulders as I frowned at my bag.

"This is heavier than usual…why…?" I trailed off as I took out the book inside.

Cinderella. I frowned, since this was the same book Nagihiko showed me. When'd this get in here? I flipped open to the first page, and in the corner, it read:

_You're right. Happy endings don't happen often unless you try. You asked me why you and Cinderella are alike, right? It's because both you and Cinderella got happy endings…And completely deserved it too._

* * *

_I decided I'd update one more time before the end of break. Besides that fact, once December starts, I probably won't be able to update till my winter break starts... D: _

_So boo, but if I'm lucky, I'll update. XD Anyways, this chapter was...interesting for me to write. I enjoy writing about possessive people. :3_

_To the reviewers: _

_azuashihiko: Aw, thanks! Ha ha, that's okay, but I do appreciate the support. Makes me feel all happy and bubbly, ha ha! XD Thanks for reading, and hopefully you'll still read! :3_

_DinosaursgoRawr101: Thank you for the very nice review! :3 Keeping them in character is a pain, and they tend to be a bit OOC in my stories, but thanks for the compliment. Isn't it though? XD They're both oblivious, so that's why. _

_RakkiiHappiiDokkiiShidonii: It's okay, ha ha. Yeah, sorry about the repeating words thing. I'll work on that. :3 As for the no comforting Nagi thing, it's because of Nagi's reasoning, which will be explained later in the story. XD Nah, it wasn't mean. I require constructive criticism, ha. And don't shoot yourself down like that, ha ha! You're an awesome writer, my gosh. X3 (As for the PS...I should do that...) ;)_

_KidTantei: I had to look up Go Fish to type this. T_T But I finally understand it too! As for the sorry...Well, no telling. ;D Hooray for funness. And dang it, funness is not a word. D:_

_Rikan Shirokura the Shugotard: Ha ha. I tend to be extremely lazy too. Why I'm not this time...No idea. :D Half of the fangirls in this fandom are stalkers, so there should be no shame in that comment. XD Ha ha, yeah, sorry about that, but I'll try to work on it. :3 I tend to be a bit redundant...Hopefully it's a bit better this time. :)_

_Riri-chi: Yay! Glad ya liked it. :3 Snoring Nagi would be fun to watch, ha ha! XD _

_Ah well, yes. I guess. _

_...That rhymed! :O Sorry, random. Anyways, do review for me, pleaaaase. :3 If you do, Ikuto can get another pair of his slash claws thingy. He only has one on one hand, which I don't understand, so let's get him another one so he can wreak destruction all over Japan! :D_

_Ah, right, Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! Thanks for reading~ _

_Do review, by the way. Constructive criticism is appreciated as well. :3 (Remember Ikuto!)_

_Minor Update: I accidentally switched names and Natsume became Mitsuki...Sorry! I did fix it though. ^_^ Thanks KidTantei. :D _


	8. Day 6: A Trip to the Grocery Store

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_DO NOT OWN Shugo Chara! or grocery stores. My gosh, these disclaimers are getting steadily duller.  
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I was racking my brain for answers. Yesterday, when Nagihiko had said 'sorry', I had heard him say it before, but I couldn't place it. It was annoying me to death.

I was in science class again, the best place to do whatever you want, which included thinking intensely about something.

"Rima-chan, you look like you're about to break your pencil," Nagihiko whispered. "Not that you could, but I don't want you to injure yourself trying."

"Hilarious," I hissed at him. "Now shut up; I'm thinking." I rubbed my temples irritably. I couldn't remember, but I knew it was from _somewhere. _

Thankfully or not, Nikaidou-sensei (who seemed to be trying to avoid watching us, and was failing miserably) stood up and preached the announcement.

"Please watch out while walking home," he said loudly, and then promptly sat down. Nice way to lighten the mood. Seeing as how there were no other things to distract the other kids, they were having full-out whisper sessions.

The 'sorry' was still bothering the living crap out of me. I was silently begging for the bell to ring. And as if at my command, the bell rang, its shrill sound resonating through the halls. I put up my things and started walking with Girly-Boy, once again ignoring Amu's cries for us to wait.

We walked on the pleasant path to the Royal Garden, the various students watching us either hatefully, jealously, or lovingly. All three scared me.

Pondering silently, I stared at Nagihiko, ticked that he had been on my mind the _whole _time during school. And ew, not that way.

Nagihiko blinked at me as I watched his every movement. "Rima-chan…Um, do you need something?"

My eyes narrowed for a second, but I then shook my head, my blond curls flying. "No," I said curtly. "Nothing."

Quickly changing the subject, I muttered the question that I would never tire of. "I'm hungry."

"Rima-chan, I'm not like the grocery store; I don't have endless supplies of food in my backpack," he told me dryly. I shrugged.

"It seems like it most of the time," I mumbled as we entered the Royal Garden. But it was different. There was an absence of a loud and piercing voice.

Where was Yaya? I walked faster until I finally stopped at the table, only to be visited by a snoring Yaya.

"Is she sleeping?" Nagihiko asked as he walked up next to me.

"No, she's dead," I said sarcastically.

"It was just a question," he said defensively, which I ignored. Silence engulfed us as I watched Yaya, who was snoring away.

Sleeping…Snoring… I frowned in frustration. What was it…?

"Sorry we're late!" Amu cried out as she ran inside. My head snapped up, and I nearly growled in frustration. I had lost my train of thought.

"It's fine," Nagihiko said kindly as the both of them collapsed into their chairs. I nodded vaguely, trying to get back on track.

"Yeah, did you two love-birds have fun?" I asked nonchalantly watching with interest as Amu's face slowly turned bright red.

"Anyways," Tadase continued hastily, saving Amu, "why don't we start the meeting? Can somebody wake Yuiki-san up?"

Amu got up and shook Yaya repeatedly, and Yaya mumbled, "Five more minutes, Strawberry-san!" The three of us stifled our laughter at Amu's indignant face.

"Enraged that somebody besides Mr. Kitty called you that?" I snickered, watching as Amu turned even darker. However, I did have a spark of recollection when Yaya mumbled in her sleep. What… was it?

That's when I finally got it. "Ah, right, he said it in his sleep!" I said, my eyebrows furrowing in thought. Amu stopped shaking Yaya, Tadase nearly dropped his teacup, and Nagihiko's book literally fell onto the ground. I blinked.

Yaya's eyelids snapped open, her eyes wide. "Eh, Rima-tan, you watched a boy sleep?"

I mentally smacked myself, after realizing what I had just said. Instead, I said coolly, "No, but I knew that Yaya would wake up if I said that."

Amu, Tadase, and Yaya, being the idiotic friends that are mine, just nodded their heads slowly and turned to listen to Tadase while Yaya whined at me. But, Nagihiko's eyes still held a spark of suspicion, which I ignored dutifully.

Waiting impatiently for the meeting to end, I played with my teacup, thinking about Nagihiko sleeping (and no, to all of you perverts, not like that). Now that I think about it, he looked almost sad while he was mumbling, but then again, at the time, I was half delirious from lack of sleep.

"…And that concludes today's meeting," Tadase finished. I straightened my back. It was over already? Tuning these meetings out seems to be getting easier and easier…

"Rima-chan, let's go," Nagihiko said cheerily as he grabbed his backpack. I turned my gaze onto him and watched him as I slowly got up and followed.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, already going to refuse if he even suggests his house. I don't require another babysitting job, thanks.

"Grocery store," he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"…Why?" I asked him, waiting expectantly for an explanation.

"We're getting supplies," he said simply. That's when everything clicked, and I nodded.

"Oh, so we're getting more supplies for the project, like lightbulbs, wires, and other things that you so lovingly stabbed the other night?" I asked him sweetly.

"You already know why, so why are you asking?" he grumbled. "No need to rub salt into the wound."

I shrugged and kept walking. "How long does it take to get to a grocery store?"

"If we ran, it'd take less then ten minutes," Nagihiko suggested. I gave him a withering look.

"No."

"Rima-chan," he said with a frown. "If we don't buy the supplies fast, we won't be able to work on the project!"

"Can't you see that as a _good thing?_" I asked him. His look said no.

"I'm not good at running though," I protested. Nagihiko looked me over for a second and let go of a breath.

"That's true."

"Thanks," I mumbled. That's when Rhythm, who seems to enjoy listening in on other's conversations, formed a wicked grin onto his tiny face.

"But, Nagi's good at running," he said innocently. Nagihiko nodded suspiciously.

"Yeah, but Rima's _not_," Kusukusu stated again. Thank you for supporting me, my darling chara.

The grin grew as he whispered into Kusukusu's ear. Is he hitting on my chara? That's only mildly disturbing. Kusukusu's face turned understanding, and she giggled as she whispered into Temari's ear. A twinkle developed into her eyes, and she laughed girlishly behind her pink kimono sleeve.

"Now then," Rhythm continued triumphantly. "I have the perfect solution to your problem!" We both shared a look and then turned towards him.

"And?"

Rhythm, who smiled widely, snapped his fingers and cried out, "Chara-change!"

Oh _heck_ no. Beside me, I heard a familiar _ping_ noise, and turned towards Nagihiko, who blinked. Before I could react, Nagihiko smiled in a sort of play-boyish way and picked me up. Being close to him (his fault, his fault, his fault), I saw the familiar pair of headphones around his neck. He started running, and, seeing as how if I did, I would bite my tongue, I tried not to scream deadly threats at him.

He wasn't going _fast,_ per-se, but he wasn't going all that slow either. I swear, once he puts me down, I was first going to turn red from _anger_, and then slap the snot out of him and Rhythm. I felt him slowing down eventually, and then he put me down gently and carefully. I heard another _ping_, and I looked up to see a confused Nagihiko and three evil shugo chara.

"What happened?" he asked, blinking repeatedly, as if to clear his head. I jabbed my finger at Rhythm, giving them both dark looks.

Nagihiko didn't bother even asking. "Chara-change," he mumbled. Then his face brightened. "Well, whatever, at least we're here!" Way to be bipolar Girly-Boy.

As soon as we walked inside, the charas ditched us. I'm willing to bet that Rhythm wanted to avoid being murdered. Wimp.

He started walking inside, dragging me alongside him. He grabbed a cart and I frowned. "You don't need a cart, right? We're not getting that many things…"

"My mom… Kind of wanted me to go grocery shopping, so I'm hitting two birds with one stone," he replied as he continued pushing the cart. Suppressing a sigh, a slap, and a death glare, I followed him inside.

I looked around the grocery store in boredom. Sample tables were everywhere, scattered throughout the store to get people to buy from them. Nagihiko was inspecting oranges while I just stood next to him, glancing around every now and then.

"Nagihiko, are you done?" I asked in pure annoyance, whipping my head around, only to find the stupid guy not even there. Shoot. This place was pretty big, even for a grocery store. How the heck am I supposed to find him?

"Are you lost, little one?" I heard a kind voice ask. Whoever called me 'little one' was going to get a good hard punch. I turned around and found myself looking at a frail, old man. I nodded and reluctantly took the man's hand as he led me around.

"Hello? Lost child!" he called out. I tapped my foot softly (so he wouldn't hear, but I'm sure he's half deaf anyways), impatient. Where was that Girly-Boy when you needed him?

"Ah, Rima-chan!" I heard somebody cry out. I looked over to see Nagihiko running over. He stooped down in front of me. "Rima-chan, don't wander off," he scolded like a father. Screw. Him.

"Now son, please be more careful when you're walking around with your sister," the old man said sternly. "In fact," he continued, kneeling down, "if you hold her hand, then you two will be just fine." He put out hands together and patted them gently. Then he took out a lollipop from his pocket and handed it to me, and then walked off. I gaped at him as he walked off.

"A very flattering face you're making," Nagihiko said with a slight smile. "Looks like they all think you're seven or something."

"Shut up," I hissed at him. "And let go of my hand," I grumbled, yanking my hand out of his. He shrugged.

"Well, whatever, let's keep going," he said, bringing out a list. We were walking as he talked to himself, his eyebrows knitting together every now and then. That's when I felt somebody watching me. Or us. Or him.

I turned around and saw a woman hurrying over to us. "Hold your sister's hand!" she scolded him, and Nagihiko nearly jumped from the sudden outburst. I hid my laugh behind my hand. Then she grabbed my hand and made Nagihiko's curl around it.

"One day, when she gets a boyfriend and doesn't want to talk to you anymore, you're going to be sad that you never treasured these moments," she chided. "So hold onto her while you can, and besides, you've already lost her once today, so why are you trying to lose her again?"

Nagihiko forced a smile and bowed. "I'm sorry." She nodded wisely and then turned around and walked away.

"Let go of my hand now," I whispered to him.

"No way, I don't want to be yelled at by the elderly again," he shot back. I snorted. Jerk. Idiot. Stupid-head. Cross-dressing freak.

"Rima-chan, I'm surprised you're not insulting me yet, so I'm guessing you're going with thought insults, hm?" he inquired casually as he read the back of a box. I scowled.

Evil. Boy.

That's when I my stomach grumbled and I winced. Nagihiko looked down in surprise. "Did you skip lunch?" he asked, clearly concerned.

"Well, I had some make-up stuff to do," I mumbled. He nodded and looked around.

"Huh, I dunno…" he looked around. "Can you settle for samples?"

"Yeah, whatever," I said, my voice quiet. So this is how a hobo feels?

He looked around and going up to a random sample table he asked the woman, "Can I have a sample for my younger sister?"

She looked at me and her eyes shined. "Aw, how cute!" she cooed. I wanted to cringe away from her. Gross. Obsessive lady. "Of course she can! Here, why don't you just take a whole package, for free," she said. Nagihiko blinked.

"Oh, but, we couldn't," Nagihiko started. She shook her head.

"I insist," and I must admit, she was quite persistent. Nagihiko took it reluctantly and smiled at her.

"Thank you."

We kept walking while I munched on the free food. He looked down, amused. "Enjoying your food?"

"Shut up," I huffed. He pouted.

"No need to be so rude, Rima-chan," he said with a playful smile.

That's when I turned around and found Kusukusu and Temari giggling and Rhythm full out belching out laughter. I quirked an eyebrow. Temari and Kusukusu pointed at our hands and Rhythm clapped Nagihiko on his back. I tried (unsuccessfully) not to turn pink.

"Nice going, Nagi!" he cheered. Nagihiko, who had been putting juice into the cart, frowned at the chara.

"Er, thanks?"

"You're not happy?" Rhythm asked, confused.

"I'm buying groceries, so why…?" he trailed off, eventually following the pointing chara's hands. "Oh."

And let the awkward silence ensue, shall we? The charas all grinned. "We'll leave you two alone till you guys are done," Rhythm added as he dragged the other two off to who-knows-where.

"I'm going to murder your chara," I told him bluntly. He ruffled his hair vaguely.

"I really don't blame you," he said under his breath, giving me a small smile, which I ignored blatantly.

"Anyways, what did you mean earlier during school 'he said it in his sleep'?" he asked casually. I froze. I was hoping he was going to drop that subject, seeing as how I had forgotten all about it anyways.

"Nothing," I replied automatically. He started shaking his head.

"Nope, you meant something," he said firmly. He looked at me curiously. "Were you talking about me by any chance?"

Like I was going to tell him I kind of sorta accidentally overheard him say 'sorry' in his sleep. I would sound like… a stalker. Or a creepy, obsessive fangirl. So no.

The problem is, is that if I tried to change the subject, Nagihiko would know. So shoot.

So I did the logical thing. My eyes filled with tears and I looked into Nagihiko's eyes, letting the tears overspill and fall down my face. "Onii-chan, how could you say that?" I sobbed, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. I peeked a bit and saw people staring. Nagihiko, who knew it was fake, bit his lip, conflicted. But I saw something behind that. I wasn't sure _what_, but…

Well, to say the least, he did the unexpected. He kneeled down until we were face-to-face. He gently ruffled my blond curls and I continued sniffling, but I was suspicious. What was he doing?

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I nodded, and looked into his eyes. They were heavily guarded, a happy mask hiding something… different. And something told me…

That this… wasn't all an act.

"I'll protect you, okay?" he told me, another grin spreading on his face. He leaned closer and whispered softly into my ear, "By the way, Rima-chan, you're not off the hook just yet." And with a wink he picked me up and flipped me onto his back.

My mouth was wide open in surprise. "Let me go," I said softly. He shook his head.

"Not unless you want to disappoint our fans," he said jokingly, and I looked around and buried my head into his back.

It was true. The whole grocery store had stopped bustling for about five minutes to watch our little 'act'. Wonderful. Now they were all cheering and applauding, a few squealing how cute we were.

"I hate you," I mumbled into his ear.

A smile lit up his face, and he laughed breezily. "Aw, I love you lots too, Rima-chan."

But what I continued thinking about was his eyes. They were so sad and almost... happy at the same time. What the heck. All of this thinking was giving me a headache.

He gave me a piggy-back ride for a little while, but after I gave him a few bruises by pounding on his back angrily, he let me down.

"Jeez, Rima-chan," he groaned, rubbing his sore back. I smirked. That's what he gets.

"What do we still need?" I asked him. He took out the (long) list and compared it to the sparse cart.

"We need a lot more," he confirmed, starting to walk away, taking my hand. I growled, ticked. Stupid list, and stupid him.

"Let's see," he muttered, clicking his tongue. "I need seaweed, bleach, and chocolate."

"What?" I asked.

"What? Just because we're dancers doesn't mean we don't eat chocolate," he said defensively. I looked at him again. Maybe due to the harsh florescent lights, which were deluding me, he looked so… peaceful, unlike earlier. He cracked a smile. "What? You're staring again. You know, like that time when I slept over at your house."

"What are you talking about?" I asked indifferently.

"That guy you were talking about earlier, it was me, wasn't it?" he asked, looking like he wanted to laugh. "Although I'm flattered, Rima-chan, it really is best that you don't watch people while they sleep. It might… distract them."

Where was Kusukusu when I needed her?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I responded stiffly, and he looked like he was restraining a laugh.

"Aw, Rima-chan, why not?" he asked brightly.

While giving him a withering look, I said sarcastically, "'Cause I'm an amnesiac."

Nagihiko caught his breath and bit his lip and soon became uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot. "Oh." He forced a smile and turned away from me. "Let's see, next on the list…"

I looked at his back. Why… why was he acting like this? I ran over and looked into his eyes suspiciously. He was surprised, and his eyes were unguarded. An overwhelming sadness was in his eyes and the cheerful happiness that seemed to be so carefully constructed…

…Was shattered.

"Rima-chan, I know my eyes are _very_ lovely, but I think we're holding up a line," he said with another one of his 'winning' smiles. I snapped out of it and looked behind him. There was a huge line behind us and I grabbed his hand again and we started walking away. When I looked back into his eyes, the mask was back, and he looked at me curiously.

"Hmmm? Have you fallen in love with my eyes, Rima-chan?" he asked teasingly. I continued looking into them.

"Stop lying," I told him. He stopped walking and turned around.

"What do you mean?"

"The happiness in your eyes… it's not real, is it?" I asked softly. "Why are you lying to yourself?"

He said nothing and continued staring at me in shock. "The happiness that you have so carefully crafted… what is it hiding?" I felt like whining. It's not what I'd usually do, but the thing is… I felt like I owed (just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit) something to Nagihiko.

He blew into his bangs, making them flutter. "Rima-chan… Maybe you're right in saying I'm hiding something… And in truth, I'll probably tell you someday," he said thoughtfully. "After all, you found out about my other secret pretty easily," he said ruefully. I'd rather not relive that 'pleasant' memory.

"But what you're saying about my happiness isn't true. The happiness in here," he said, pointing into his eyes (and looking like an idiot), "is real. There's so much that I have… It's hard _not_ to be happy. I'm fine." He gave me a weak smile. "Don't worry about it right now, okay?"

"Anyways," he continued, the smile steadily growing stronger, "since I've told you _so_ much about myself, why don't you tell me about that little sleeping incident, hmm?" he asked innocently.

And that's when realization set in. Nagihiko was a good actor, wasn't he? I growled. I was set up. "Jerk."

"What do you mean, Rima-chan?" he asked in mock horror.

"You were acting the whole time," I accused. He shrugged.

"You acted like a seven year-old the whole time we were in this store," he pointed out. I shook my head viciously.

"One-third of the time," I corrected him sweetly. "And I can do that crying bit all over again."

He ran his fingers through his hair, a small smirk making way onto his face. "I never said that stuff wasn't true. Acting just adds dramatic effect. Now, Rima-chan, you want to tell me who that person was?"

"Fine," I said quietly, giving him a dagger-like glare. "Itwasyou."

"Now, was that hard, Rima-chan?"

"Excruciatingly hard," I told him dryly.

"Mhmm," he hummed, continually dragging me around different areas of the store. And every time we passed a sample table, somebody would come up and give me free things. And I most certainly didn't miss the crafty sparkle in Nagihiko's eyes.

"What are you planning?"

"What in the world do you mean?" he asked sweetly, his eyes wide. That was _my_ thing.

Although… he pulled it off pretty well.

"You're planning something," I sniffed. "I can see it in your eyes." He gawked at me.

"Seriously?" he asked, stunned. "Huh. I didn't know people could tell that kind of stuff about me from my eyes. Actually, I'm pretty sure you're the only one…"

"Anyways, maybe I am planning something," he said. "It would benefit us…Sort of." I nodded for him to continue.

He continued by whispering into my ear. "Y'see, if we use you, we can get some of these things for free. All of the people think you're just adorable," he sounded like he was snorting on this word, "So I think they'd give you anything."

I kicked him in the shin. "Cheapskate."

He winced and rubbed the sore spot. "Thanks, Rima-chan."

After considering the 'prospect' I carefully said, "Fine. But I'm guessing it's because you left your wallet somewhere, isn't it?"

"Um, no?" he said with a nervous laugh. After registering my dark look, he sighed and gave me a bashful grin. "Yeah. Kind of."

"You suck. A lot."

"I'll take that in an endearing way," he said with another wink.

"Alright, then," I said as I flipped my hair over my shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Rima, what are you talking about?" I heard the familiar voice of Kusukusu. I turned and a small smile curled onto my face.

"Rhythm, just because you're hiding behind Kusukusu doesn't mean I can't see you."

Rhythm shuddered. Nagihiko nodded gravely. "I know. She's scary, isn't she?"

"If you don't shut up, I won't help you," I threatened. He held up his hands in defense.

"I was kidding," he said with a pout.

He took my hand and pulled me along. "Anyways, I have about 3000 yen, so we have to try and pull off the rest of the items for free."

"How much stuff do you have on there?" I asked him. He started counting and turned towards me again.

"Eleven."

"I hate you."

"I really feel the love in that comment, Rima-chan," he said breezily, and knowing him, he was already used to my comments.

"How much of that stuff can you buy with thirty bucks?"

He started using his fingers (he blushed when I laughed) and pursing his lips, he said, "Approximately seven things, if I buy the cheap kind."

"Heck yeah, you're buying the cheap crap."

He ignored my comment. "Well, let's go to our first stop," he said, his infamous grin on his face. I almost shuddered as I realized the same smiles were on each of the chara's faces.

_Stop 1: Peaches_

I stood on my tiptoes and peeked up adorably from beneath my lashes to look at the lady. "Can I have a peach?" I asked politely, pointing at one. Her smile was kind as she handed me a big, juicy one.

"Of course sweetie!"

I bit into it and I forced my face to light up. "It's delicious!" I exclaimed happily. Gag. I hated acting all go-happy and… childish.

Now that I think about it… Why do I hang out with Yaya again?

That's when Nagihiko took his cue and came up to me. "Rima-chan, there you are!" he said, picking me up. "Did you take a peach from the nice lady?"

"Yes," I said cutely. "But I asked."

"She really did, and it's fine," the lady added.

Nagihiko managed to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry about my sister. She really likes peaches and everything, so I really do appreciate it."

"Oh no, it was no problem! Your sister is so adorable," she crooned. "Would you like to buy some more?"

"Oh, I can't," he said, biting his lip. "I don't have any money on me except for a few dollars… I'm very sorry," he said, bowing. She shook her head furiously.

"You poor darlings," she said, and then she bustled around the counter and took some peaches and put them into a bag. "Here you are, no charge, alright?"

Nagihiko started to refuse, saying, "I couldn't… You worked so hard and everything…"

"It's fine," she said insistently, pushing the basket into him. Nagihiko gave nodded his head and I broke out in a wide grin.

"Thank you!" As we walked away, I saw the woman smile at us endearingly.

_Stop 2: Ice Cream_

"Why does a dancer need ice cream?" I wondered aloud as we walked over. Kusukusu nodded her agreement. Both Temari and Rhythm hid their secret smiles.

The smile that appeared on his face didn't explain much. "No reason."

An old man stood watch over the sampling area. He looked grouchy, kind of gross, and mean. He was wearing overalls and a hat covered the first half of his face, making him look dark and rebellious (or as dark and rebellious as an elderly man can). Now, won't this be fun?

"Ojii-san!" I exclaimed as I walked over to him. "Can I have some ice cream?"

"If you pay," he replied gruffly, eyeing me. "Can you?"

"Oh, um, well, my brother might be able to…" I stammered.

"Well, where is your brother?" he growled. Well, isn't somebody a chipper old grandpa?

Tears welled up in my eyes and he watched nonchalantly as the tears dripped down my face. I already knew; he seemed like the insensitive kind of guy. But what I was counting on to help me in this situation…

Was the sympathy of a few onlookers.

"What in the world did you do to this poor girl?" a woman yelled at him. He jumped out of his seat.

"I didn't do nothing!" he quipped. Kusukusu stuck her tongue out next to him with Temari glaring at him. Rhythm, who really didn't care, floated on his back.

"Oh yeah, because out of nowhere, a girl will start crying," another woman joined in. About five other people started shouting at him and he cringed. Nagihiko soon came along, having a look of surprise on his face as he held a carton of milk.

"Eh, Rima-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, a worried look overcoming his eyes.

"He… he made me cry!" I wailed, burying my head into his shoulder. Gross. He smells… like… sakura blossoms. That's pretty… hard to do.

I continued sobbing, the cries racking my body. Perhaps I was overdoing it, but hey, nobody would really know. One of the ladies whacked the man with her purse.

"Give her some free ice cream, you jerk!" they all yelled and he yelped as he took out a container and shoved it at Nagihiko.

"Take it, take it!"

I wiped my tears on my sleeve and looked at the small group of woman. "Thank you!" They all nodded and patted my head while the man gaped. Ha. Serves the idiot right.

_Stop 3: Candy_

"Didn't we already buy chocolate?" I muttered. He pointed at the list.

"Yeah, but candy's on there too," he said as he ran his fingers through his long hair. "Well, let's go, I suppose." We walked up to the counter and a girl around our age popped up from behind it. Her caramel-colored hair was put into one long braid. She blinked her large blue eyes as if coming out of a trance. Besides that fact, she was wearing our school uniform.

That's when she registered Nagihiko standing in front of her and she turned dark red. "F-F-Fujisaki-kun?" she stammered. "What are you doing here?" She was scrambling around, trying to get everything in order. Then she saw me (what, was I too short to see or something?) and she looked surprised. "Eh, Mashiro-san?"

She looked down even farther, and, if possible, turned even darker. "U-U-Um, are you two," she stuttered, pointing at our intertwined hands. I snatched my hand from his quickly, looking away from him. Smiling wryly while rubbing his hand, he shook his head.

"Ah, it's Kitazawa-san, right?" he asked kindly. Her blush still hadn't faded and she nodded furiously.

"Y-yes, it's Kitazawa Najika," she whispered, the words coming out so soft I could hardly hear them. I looked between the two, and Nagihiko, who was in fact, quite dense, just continued smiling at her. Rhythm slapped a hand onto his forehead. Kusukusu mimicked him while Temari hid a giggle from behind her sleeve.

Twirling a piece of his hair, he stared down at the list of sweets. "Hmmm, well…" he clicked his tongue. "Do you suggest anything, Kitazawa-san?"

The furious blush never moved from her face and she was pretty flustered even at the mere mention of her name. "Oh, um, well, this is good, and so is that," she said, pointing at the items mentioned.

He said cheerily, "Well, I'll have those, I guess." She nodded and hurriedly put the things into a bag. He took the bag and he reached into his pocket. Crap. We were really going to have to stretch the budget now...

"Keep it," she blurted out. "You don't have to pay, since we're classmates and everything…" she mumbled. Nagihiko started protesting, but an honest smile appeared onto her face.

"No, it's really okay. My mother won't mind." Nagihiko grinned at her.

"Well, thank you!" he said and he waved as he turned around. She let loose a breath, a dreamy look in her eyes. I held back a small smile. If only she knew how he really was.

"Thanks," I said quietly, and she started. She saw me and gasped.

"Ah, Mashiro-san, oh, um, I and…" she stopped her guilty talking as I waved her off and followed Nagihiko, wherever the heck _he_ went.

But, before I left, I heard her softly say, "You're welcome."

_Stop 4: Bananas_

I wandered around, appearing lost. I stopped abruptly when I felt somebody tap me.

"Lost again?" I turned and saw the elderly man from way earlier. He tugged on my hand and led me to his booth. I was surprised to see Nagihiko there as well. Bananas were next? Just our luck that this guy was the same one from earlier.

"Now listen here young man, I found your sister lost again," he said sternly. "Didn't I tell you to hold her hand?"

"It's not his fault mister," I said miserably. "I let go of his hand and got lost." His eyes softened. And then I heard my stomach rumble and I turned pink. I tugged on Nagihiko jacket. "I'm hungry."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" the old man cried out. He handed me a banana. "Here ya go."

I opened it and bit into it. I forced a smile, seeing as how I despised bananas. "Thank you!"

The old man tapped the side of his cheek thoughtfully. "If you'd like, you can have this basket of bananas, free of charge," he told Nagihiko, who froze. I struggled to keep my eyes carefree and innocent as I listened to them.

"That is, if you promise to take good care of your sister, and you do one more thing," he said slyly. Nagihiko nodded for him to continue.

"I promise."

"Alright then," the old man said, handing him the basket. "Now, what I want you to do is to give your sister a nice, loving kiss." I almost choked on my banana. Rhythm, Kusukusu, and Temari nearly choked on laughter.

Excuse me?

"Um, could you repeat that?" Nagihiko asked him, his eyes wide.

He snorted. "She's your sister, so it's just family love. It's not _that_ bad."

"Er, wouldn't a hug be better?" Nagihiko suggested desperately. He shook his head firmly. Apparently, once he says something, he sticks to it stubbornly. Nagihiko let a small breath escape from between his lips as he crouched down until we were eye-level.

I groaned. I hated family love. I hated this plan. Nagihiko came closer and he planted a small and gentle kiss on my right cheek. I tried to ignore the loud cheers of the charas.

"Thank you," Nagihiko said quickly as he bowed his head and we both walked away as quickly as possible. The old man nodded in satisfaction as he watched us.

Nagihiko was checking stuff off of the list, both of us trying to forget what just recently… happened, and the charas weren't helping with them yelling, "They kissed, they kissed!" Right now, I was panicking.

How was I supposed to get his disease off of my face?

"Alright, looks like we've got everything," Nagihiko said. "Including wire and lightbulbs, and…" he continued talking to himself.

"Way to be a stick in the mud, Nagi," Rhythm complained.

"Okay, looks like we can go check-out," he said as he started pushing the cart, disregarding his chara's words. He was still holding my hand (for obvious reasons).

We arrived at our station and the check-out person whirled around. "Ah, sorry for the wait…" she stopped talking as she stared at Nagihiko's face. "F-F-Fujisaki-kun?" And the stuttering returns.

"Kitazawa-san? Weren't you at a booth earlier?" Nagihiko asked as he put the items in place.

"Oh, my family owns this place, so I work in multiple areas," she said, and afterwards, she had shock written all over her face. I'm pretty sure it was because she hadn't stammered once during that sentence.

"I see," Nagihiko said elegantly, giving her a smile, and sparkles flew. Tadase number two.

She turned a dark shade of scarlet and looked down at her feet as she scanned everything. "That'll be 2837 yen," she murmured. Nagihiko searched his pocket and eventually handed her the money. After handing him his change, Nagihiko looked at her again.

"Thanks for recommending the candy, Kitazawa-san. I appreciate it," he said earnestly. She nodded, and I could tell she was trying to swallow her blush. Nagihiko, who was still oblivious, walked away. I turned slightly and gave her a tiny smile, and then turned back away, shrugging my hair over my shoulder.

When we finally got outside, I told him, "You're an idiot." Then again, I suppose being a girl for most of his life may have affected how he sees girls, and _what_ he sees about them. The three charas nodded in agreement. Heck, if Kusukusu gets it, he's doomed.

"What? What'd I do now?" he asked, exasperated. I ignored him as he put the cart away and he grunted as he carried the bags. "Rima-chan, can you carry this?" he begged, handing me one. I grabbed it daintily.

"I guess I'll walk you home," Nagihiko said. "Let's see, it's this way, am I right?" I nodded. I wasn't even going to comment on how he knew.

"Let's go."

As we walked, I glanced over at him as he struggled with his bags. Forcefully, I took another bag from him and tried not to see his incredulous face. "Don't say a word."

An amused light lit up his face and he nodded. "Thanks, Rima-chan."

Eventually, we rounded a corner and I saw the familiar ring of houses surrounding my own dull and bland house. Home sweet home. I entered the house and put my hand right in front of his face. "Stay here."

I ran inside and grabbed a basket and then came back outside, handing it to him. "Here."

"Well, isn't Rima-chan being nice today?" he said teasingly, easing some of the bags into the basket. "Thank you."

That's when I heard that familiar _ping_. Before I could react, Nagihiko hugged me softly for a second. I didn't do anything, seeing as how all I did was hand him a _basket. _Because it's really necessary to hug a person if you give them a _basket. _Afterwards, he turned on his heel and left. I walked to the gate and saw the headphones around his neck, Rhythm panicking as Temari yelled at him about 'taking advantage of the situation'.

Kusukusu giggled.

I let my dark aura seep through, but a small and amused smile crept onto my face anyways. I shook my head and entered my house, slamming the door shut behind me.

* * *

_Hurrah for updating (and surprisingly, I'm actually doing it in the afternoon...)! Hello, hello everybody. :D 'Tis me, that person you don't know but still reads her stories anyways. Ha. I have returned! :'D (Yay?)  
_

_Anyways, this chapter... Hmm. I don't know how it turned out like that. I was planning on making it something waaaay different, but then it turned into... that. I'm pretty satisfied with it though... I guess. Ha, I added another OC. She's not really special, except maybe her name... But I'm not sure you'll get it if you haven't read 'Kitchen Princess'. ^^  
_

_ And, if you guys kinda sorta hadn't noticed, yes, there will be times when it won't be all that funny and stuff, and blah blah blaaaah. Sorry about that, if you were only planning on reading this for fun or something... It still should be though, I think. (coughcoughIhopecoughcough)_

_As for the reviews... I was really surprised. I got like... 13 reviews? I was so happy, I started insanely giggling. But... now my family thinks I'm a nut who just lives here for shelter and food. Personally, I don't blame them... _

_I have decided to answer reviews now with the review reply thing, since it makes the story look a tad longer... And I realized some people might like more privacy when I do those kind of things. So yes... (By the way, the review responses from last chapter should have been posted on my Author's Note... which I took down... Aw, fiddlesticks.)  
_

_Ahem. So... I think that should be it? Hopefully I'll be able to update again since I'm on break... And, now that I think about it, Christmas is this week! Yeah, I know I can be kinda sorta dumb. Sorry. :P _

_Oh, and sorry about this author's note being slightly... longer than the others. I just needed to clear up a few things about this story and what-not. Or whatnot. You get my point. _

_So, review if you'd like, I'd really appreciate it if you would though. ;) If you have constructive criticism (like grammatical errors, me being redundant, etc.), do drop a comment please. I'll take anything! (No. Really.)_

_Thanks for reading~ See ya later!_

_-forever blue skies- _

_PS: If you could, could you tell me which 'Stop' you liked best? Just to hear personal opinions and stuff. :3  
_


	9. Day 7: Sports

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Yeah, I totally own Shugo Chara! Note the sarcasm there people. I don't own Shugo Chara! :(  
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_I tapped my pencil lazily against the desk. Nothing amusing was happening, unless you counted the fact that Kusukusu, Rhythm, and an extremely careful Temari were looking through a random girl's purse. Strangely enough, Nikaidou-sensei hadn't assigned anything to the class; he just said to either work on the project or read. Then he started reading his newspaper intently and worriedly.

"Neh, Rima-chan, shouldn't you be doing your work?" I turned my head slightly to face the _thing_ that was my partner.

I flipped another page of my book and faced him again. "Happy?"

He came over and glanced down at my paper. "You haven't written anything," he pointed out with a pout. I shrugged.

"And?"

"Scoot over," he told me, and I gave him a suspicious look and did so. And he sat down. _On my seat._ I pushed him to no avail and he ignored me as he looked at my book, flipping through it. I supposed he was much too concentrated on the project to think about the many stares (and glares) we were going to get. Screw him.

Besides that point, he was much too close for comfort. I squirmed.

"Nagihiko, get off," I hissed at him. He was scribbling a note down and obviously, didn't hear me.

"Oi, Fujisaki-san, Mashiro-san, no PDA," Nikaidou-sensei said as he looked up from his newspaper. He chooses _now_ to do that? Stupid inattentive teacher.

I felt the various looks from everybody as they gawked at us. Nagihiko got up awkwardly, finally noticing the stares.

Amu was grinning like a madman, Tadase simply looked amused, and then… My eyes wandered slightly and they landed on a girl whose blue eyes were wide and shocked. I blinked and stared at her. Where had I seen her before?

"Rima-chan," Nagihiko whispered. I looked over at him and saw his predicament. My fanboys were about to strangle him. I watched the event and pursed my lips. I snapped my fingers and they quickly pulled away, giving Nagihiko lingering glares.

He rubbed his neck. "Your fanboys are going to kill me one day."

I flipped through another page of the book, skimming it vaguely. "Won't that be the day?"

Just as Nikaidou-sensei stood up for the announcements, the bell shrilled, and everybody ditched and ran. Fast. Nikaidou-sensei just shook his head, shrugged, and then sat back down in his seat. I could've sworn I heard him mutter, "Whatever."

Nagihiko waited patiently for me while Tadase and Amu started walking ahead, for once. We walked out the door and then we went off to the Royal Garden. I heard the usual comments and such.

One, however, managed to catch me off-guard.

"Wah, Mashiro-san and Fujisaki-san make such a cute couple!"

I coughed and Nagihiko just stiffened. The gossip continued.

"Aren't they? They even shared a seat today!"

"They're so lucky that they found their 'soul mate' so early in life!"

_Soul mate. _Now that's just disturbing. I turned towards him sharply, making sure I wasn't pink. "I completely blame you for this," I huffed.

"It wasn't my fault," he protested. "You weren't doing your work."

"Whatever," I scoffed as we kept walking, trying to ignore the various squeals of either jealousy or anger. Or both.

We quickly ran off to the Royal Garden, which was, right now, our sanctuary. He slammed the door shut behind him as I peeked out the window and observed the fans' reactions. Most were crying or shouting of some sort.

"Hmmm, were you two doing something suspicious during Science class?" I whirled around to face the pig-tailed terror: Yaya.

"No," I said curtly, dragging Nagihiko up the steps. I sat down in my seat. Why the heck does he sit next to me anyways?

"Oh, but Rima and Nagi were sharing a seat. I believe Nikaidou-sensei also labeled it as 'PDA'," Amu said deviously. I hadn't even noticed her enter the place. I flashed her a dark look.

"You and Tadase commit PDA every single day, so I don't see why you can make fun of us," I remarked. Amu did the usual thing: she flushed bright red and her eyes became wide and flustered.

Tadase smiled meekly as he began the meeting, Yaya giggling and humming and Nagihiko with a nervous grin. I didn't really listen, except one part did happen to interest me, and I turned towards Tadase, as did the others.

"The kidnapper, it appears, was almost caught last night," he said cautiously. "He however, did manage to get away, but he knocked out a police officer in doing so."

He stared down into his lap, and I realized he was looking at the newspaper. "The police officer is fine, but he does have a welt on his head and is still presently unconscious." He turned his gaze back onto us. "By now, I am sure that this kidnapper is not an Easter affiliate."

Amu nodded seriously. "If he was, the X-egg attacks would've increased."

Nagihiko and I nodded grimly. Yaya's smile slipped off of her face and she trembled. "So that means…"

Tadase gave her a small smile. "Ah, well, I'm sure the police can handle it," he tried to reassure her. Amu quickly nodded and patted her awkwardly. Yaya gave them another one of her bright grins and shrugged, but I knew Yaya better than that. She was scared, but was determined not to let it show.

Amu glanced at me worriedly and I met her gaze and smiled a bit. She grinned back and turned back towards Tadase. "So…?"

Tadase added hastily, "We should keep a look-out, but just act like regular kids and call the police, freak out, and the other usual things a kid would do." I could see how that was stupid, seeing as how we could magically transform, but we all kept our mouths shut.

And with that, the meeting was quickly dismissed. Yaya ran out, saying she had ballet practice. Amu and Tadase were walking her there and then going to Tadase's house.

I waited impatiently for Nagihiko. Why were we always the last ones out? Nagihiko finally got up and came over. Rhythm and Kusukusu also flew over, and Kusukusu sat on my shoulder cheerfully. Temari popped out of her egg and floated next to Rhythm.

We walked out and I faced him. "Where are we going?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. We could always head towards the school library," he mused. I gave him a dark glare.

"No."

"Ah, but Ri—"

"No."

"Rima—"

"_No."_

"It's not the public library though," he muttered. "It'll be fine. Please?" he asked, his eyes wide. I groaned and waved him on.

"We're taking the short-cut though," I told him stubbornly, referring to the sports fields. I started walking with Nagihiko trailing after me, looking hesitant.

"Nagihiko, is something _wrong_?" I asked irritably, putting a hand on my hip. He would walk for five feet, and then stop. It was getting annoying.

"Uh, no, everything's fine," he replied quickly. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but continued walking. That's when I saw a ball coming straight at us and I stepped aside. This is exactly why I hated this section of the school.

"Sorry!" I heard somebody yell out. Nagihiko turned towards me.

"Rima-chan, can you kick the ball over there?" he asked me pleadingly. I gave him a wilting look. What an idiot. Obviously, he didn't know about my limited athletic skills.

"Heck no," I told him, pushing the _thing_ into his hands meaningfully. "You do it; you can actually _do_ sports."

He bit his lip and set the ball down carefully, looking around shiftily. He eventually looked satisfied and turned back towards the field determinedly. Then he swung his leg back and kicked it. Hard.

"Impressive!" the guy called back with a grin. Nagihiko visibly winced as he glanced up. I frowned, what in the world—

_Ping!_

And that's when Nagihiko suddenly took off, just like that, only leaving behind a trail of dust. I slowly turned my face skywards and glared at Rhythm, who was twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"You did this, didn't you?" I asked dryly, following Nagihiko's dirt path furiously. He whistled. I now see _exactly_ where Nagihiko gets that stupid habit.

"No, it's an involuntary chara-change!" he said defensively. "Like Tadase and Kiseki!"

"What triggered Nagihiko's then?" I snapped. Rhythm tugged on his hat and smiled innocently.

"Sports," he said simply. I stared at him.

"Sports."

"Sports," he said with a nod of his head. Temari next to him smacked his head. Then she turned back to me.

"Due to Nagihiko's childhood, he's never been able to play sports… How should I say this? Freely, I suppose. That's why he," she said, jabbing her tiny thumb at Rhythm, "was born. So now whenever he sees anything to do with sports, he tried to hold it down. But, as you can see, it doesn't always work."

I trudged towards the soccer field. Darn it Nagihiko. Darn it. I had to get him out of there _somehow. _When I got down there, I realized Nagihiko was playing. And beating everybody's butts. He made goal after goal after goal. I watched in shock, along with the other team members. Nagihiko stopped, eventually, and started panting.

He stood back up and the headphones disappeared. He blinked, looked around, and then stared at me, looking panicky. I suppressed an annoyed sigh and marched onto the field. I grabbed his sleeve (in disgust) and promptly dragged him off, leaving behind the awed soccer team.

"Nagihiko," I said, snapping my fingers in front of his face. He frowned at me.

"You didn't need to do that, y'know," he commented. I ignored him.

"What was that?" I hissed at him as we started walking away from the soccer team.

"A chara-change," he muttered back, looking sheepish. I pursed my lips. Idiot.

"Whatever, let's just go to the li—"I stopped talking abruptly as I heard the loud footsteps of people. Nagihiko winced at the sound and turned around. The soccer team was crying out for Nagihiko like crazed fans.

Nagihiko looked desperate as he looked at Rhythm. "Rhythm, chara-change!"

The chara winked. "You got it!"

The headphones soon came back, and Nagihiko grabbed my hand and ran as fast as possible (which is pretty fast). He ducked behind a fence and watched the soccer team run past us.

He sighed in relief. "It's a good thing nobody saw us."

I nodded, although I was pretty tempted to point out it was his fault anyways. I looked around and realized we were around the basketball court. Just a bit farther and we'd make it to the library.

"We can probably make it from here," I told him as I turned around. He paused.

"Actually, that depends on what part of the sport's section we're at," he said carefully. "Where are we?"

I gave him a confused look. "Basketball courts."

Nagihiko pursed his lips. "Why don't we go the long way?" he suggested.

I crossed my arms stubbornly. "No."

"Rima-chan," he whispered hurriedly. "We really should, or else somebody will—"

"Fujisaki! There he is!"

Oh crap. Nagihiko turned around and we saw the soccer team. Which caught the attention of the basketball team. Which caught the attention of the sport next door, and so on.

"What the heck, Nagihiko, when did you get this popular?" I asked him under my breath. He shrugged as each team advanced slowly.

"When I beat all of the teams at their own sport?" he replied nervously. I arched an eyebrow. Single-handedly?

"Fujisaki-san!" they all cried out pleadingly, breaking into my thought, all of them asking for him to join their team. He shook his head politely, backing away slowly.

"I have to do a project," he kept saying. That's when they all were silenced and they blinked.

"But weren't you behind the fence with Mashiro-san?" one of them asked. "What were you doing there?"

We both cringed. "Oh, um, er, talking," Nagihiko managed to stammer out.

That's when one of them started wiggling their eyebrows like crazy. "Oh, about what, exactly?"

Nagihiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, the science project?" he said with an obvious tone in his voice. I rolled my eyes but nodded anyways. The sports teams' had confusion on their faces.

"Oh."

"What were you expecting?" Nagihiko asked curiously and innocently.

"Nothing," they instantly shot back. I raised an eyebrow, almost smirking. Right now, their assumptions were helping, making them nervous.

"If that's it, then we can go, right?" I piped up. All of them looked at me as I stared back dully. A few low mumbles and grumbles came out of the group as they dispersed.

Nagihiko breathed a sigh of relief. But then we realized that the basketball team was still _there_. Darn. Darn, darn, darn.

"We could always sneak away," I whispered to him. He was about to answer back until a slightly familiar voice interrupted. I froze.

"Fujisaki?" I turned my head and saw Kirishima Fuyuki. He saw me and smiled at me and I smiled a tiny bit back. Well… this was a bit awkward.

Nagihiko just looked mildly surprised, not even noticing anything. Idiot. "Do you remember that favor you owe me?" Nagihiko's eyebrows furrowed, and then enlightened when he remembered.

"Oh yeah. Do you need something now, Kirishima-kun?" Nagihiko asked pleasantly.

He nodded. "Yeah, kind of. One of our players sprained his ankle, so I was wondering if you could practice a bit, just to fill in for him?" he asked hopefully. Nagihiko shrugged and turned towards me.

"Do you mind?"

If it meant that I didn't have to work on the stupid project, then go freakin' ahead Nagihiko. Just go ahead. I shook my head.

"Whatever. I'll be going home then," I said as I started walking away. Please don't say anything, please don't say anything…

"Ah, Rima-chan!" Darn. Darn, darn, darn.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"No kid is allowed to go home alone because of the kidnapper, remember?" he pointed out. "Besides, I already promised your mom I'd be the one to take you home today."

I gaped at him. "When the heck did that happen?" I muttered as he dragged me back towards the basketball courts. He dug around in his pockets and dangled what he found in my face.

"She gave me the keys to your house, remember?" Ah yes. My mother did give a cross-dresser full access to our house. Personally, I feel that was a stupid move. "She said you probably forgot them again and asked me to take you home since she couldn't."

"Crap," I grumbled as I brushed myself off. He pointed at the bench.

"Do you mind waiting till the practice is over? Then we can go work on our project when I'm done," he said cheerily. Actually, the project was what I wanted to _avoid._ Shoot. Kirishima-kun came up to him and handed him a uniform.

"Ah, but I'm not on the team," Nagihiko protested. Kirishima-kun shoved the uniform into Nagihiko's arms.

"You are for now," he said with a wink as he ran back to the court. Nagihiko gave a loud groan as he walked away with the uniform. I pursed my lips as I watched them play their stupid sport for a moment. I might as well do something, seeing as how basketball wasn't going to entertain me.

I looked around my book bag a bit and found what I was looking for. I crinkled my nose. Homework. Kusukusu landed on my shoulder and stared at the worksheet I had gotten out.

"Language Arts looks confusing, Rima," she commented.

"… Kusukusu, this is math," I corrected her. I really couldn't blame her, since it was all a jumble of letters and numbers. Whoever came up with the idea of algebra should be slapped. Hard.

"Ah, Fujisaki, over here!" Kirishima-kun shouted. Nagihiko walked out reluctantly in the uniform. It was only mildly disturbing to see somebody who looked somewhat like a girl in a guy's uniform. Only mildly disturbing.

Nagihiko kept walking and the guys slapped him on the back (rather hard, in my opinion) and an easy grin came onto his face as he met up with Kirishima-kun on the courts. He was tossed the ball and he caught it and dribbled it for a bit.

I watched as his face seemed much calmer and more relaxed. Kirishima-kun quickly started the practice with running, stretching, and all of this other crap I didn't care about.

"Rima, aren't you supposed to be doing homework?" Kusukusu whined. I looked down at the paper. Who could do homework when they were yelling and shouting so loudly? So I simply watched them do their beginning exercises and then they soon began the actual practice.

"I never did understand basketball," I said wryly as I watched them score point after point through the hoop.

… In actuality, it was Nagihiko who was scoring point after point through the hoop. His moves were smooth and elegant, quick and graceful. With a satisfying _swoosh_, it went through the hoop with ease. I slapped myself as I realized that staring at him was just gross. Out of the corner of my eye, I definitely saw a smirk on Rhythm's evil face. Nagihiko just kept up his rhythm and kept shooting perfectly every time.

He dribbled it across the court and with perfect form from any distance, the ball would go right through the hoop. The entire team eventually stopped and watched in awe, and his movements grew slower and slower, until he registered their looks with an awkward smile.

"Um…?" he said uncertainly. "Is practice over?"

Kirishima-kun shook his head in amazement (and a bit of envy, maybe). "Fujisaki, if you're so good at basketball, why won't you join the team?"

He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, most likely due to the obscene amount of curious stares. "W-well, I probably wouldn't have all that much time with Guardian duties and school work."

Underneath my breath, I muttered, "And cross-dressing." As if sensing this, Nagihiko diverted his gaze over to me, which I returned with a sickly sweet smile.

Kirishima-kun frowned slightly at us, but then quickly tried to resume practice, to the best of his abilities. I tapped my pencil as I stared at my math (or as Kusukusu enjoys referring it as, messed-up Language Arts), but eventually gave up and started watching their practice again. It was interesting, but it was more entertaining than my homework. I heard loud and resounding footsteps from behind me. I glanced up and saw a soccer team member coming over. That's when he noticed Nagihiko (I blame his stupid girly mane of hair) and he shouted to the skies, "Fujisaki's at the basketball courts!"

Nagihiko's eyes widened as he ran over to me, yanked on my arm and practically carried me away. I turned and saw the headphones around his neck. Was it sad that I was getting used to this, almost?

"Nagihiko, put me down!" I hissed at him. He turned towards me, giving me a look.

"Do you want to get mauled by every single one of Seiyo's sport's teams?" he muttered back as he kept running.

… On second thought, just run Nagihiko. Run your butt off. Eventually, we did stop, and Nagihiko was panting hard, even if he did chara-change. He opened the closet door (what is it with him and closets?) and pushed me inside and then he entered and locked the door behind him.

We heard the loud footsteps pass by and we both sighed in relief and Rhythm undid the chara-change. But then I came over and flicked his head. He rubbed the spot gingerly. "Ow. What was that for?"

"For making all of Seiyo's sport's teams chase us!" I hissed back. He crossed his arms.

"It's not my fault," he said defensively. "Rhythm did it." I glared at the tiny chara, who was whistling innocently in a corner.

I looked around the confined space. "How'd you get the key to this place anyways?" I asked suspiciously. He took the key back out and inserted it back into the lock.

"The custodian gave it to me after I helped her clean up the art classrooms," he replied as he carefully unlocked the door.

"Suck-up," I snorted. He ignored me as we carefully crept back out of the closet and walked as briskly and quietly as possible to the library. We snuck in and closed the door with finality. We then collapsed into our chairs and looked around the library. Deserted, to our immense relief. That is, until Nagihiko's phone vibrated.

"Kirishima-kun?" he whispered into it. A little bit of talking, and then Nagihiko continued. "What? No, of course not," he muttered back into it, looking confused. "Sorry, but the teams are chasing us," he told him. "We're in the library, so I have to go, you know she's…"

"Ahem." Nagihiko turned around weakly to face our stickler of a librarian, Koizumi-sensei.

"Fujisaki-san," she boomed. "Why do you have a phone?"

Nagihiko quickly recollected himself as he smiled and allowed sparkles to fly. She immediately softened. "It's because the basketball team was in need of my assistance, and us Guardians turn on our phones after school ends just in case any students may need our help."

She nodded, but personally, I think the sparkles affected her more than his words. She walked away once Nagihiko flashed her another smile. "You got pointers from Tadase, didn't you?" I demanded.

"No, they were observations," he replied. He looked slightly amused. "Anyways, we should get started…"

"Aren't you going back to basketball practice?" I asked him. He looked up.

"No, not while the sport's teams are prowling around," he said. "They wouldn't dare enter the library though, since Koizumi-sensei hates most of them."

"Then why are you wearing the uniform still?" I inquired. He looked down at his jersey and shorts.

"I didn't have time to change when they started chasing me," he said thoughtfully. "No wonder I felt so much air…"

I shook my head at him, which he countered with an impish grin. He started flicking through his book when Rhythm suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's what I was forgetting to tell you Nagi!"

"Hmm?" he asked as the chara came over and whispered in his ear. Once he finished, Nagihiko looked at me weirdly.

"What?" I asked irritably. He did, after all, drag me off to basketball practice, then started running around with every single sports team on our heels. It was enough to annoy any sane person.

"You were staring at me during practice?" he asked innocently. I turned my glare onto Rhythm, who flinched and hid behind Nagihiko. Temari giggled lightly behind her sleeve while Kusukusu sat on top of my head comfortably, but I didn't miss her laughter either.

"You guys were making way too much noise for me to concentrate," I said stiffly. "So I just watched."

"But you were only watching Nagi," Rhythm pointed out from behind Nagihiko. Let me slap him, please. It would mean the world. _The world._

I was quickly saved from answering by the opening of the library door again. We both froze. There was a judo member inquiring at the desk if we were in here.

"I thought they wouldn't come here?" I mimicked Nagihiko in hushed tones. Nagihiko was already stuffing his things into his bookbag hastily.

"I said most of them. Usually they don't separate unless they're desperate," he retorted back under his breath. "Come on, we need to sneak out."

We carefully walked behind each shelf, avoiding the lone judo member as he peered between each gap. Then we dashed through the library and burst out of the doors. We went back to the closet and sat back inside.

"I hate you," I dead-panned. Nagihiko ignored me again.

"We need to sneak out of the school," he said to himself.

"You two could always just stay inside here until the sport's teams leave," Kusukusu and Temari suggested. We turned towards them, both of us with arched eyebrows.

"I am not getting locked inside of a closet with him _again_," I said, emphasizing the word _again_. He chuckled nervously.

"Well, you could always jump out the window," Rhythm said as he floated down next to our heads. "It worked with Amu."

I stared at them. "We're on the second floor." Nagihiko looked up, arching a single eyebrow.

"Yeah, so?"

"Wouldn't that be, oh, I don't know, dangerous?" I asked sarcastically. He shrugged.

"Not if you're chara-changed," Rhythm said with an evil glint in his eyes. I eyed him suspiciously. Nagihiko nodded in agreement.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." My eyes widened.

"So we're seriously doing this?" I squeaked inside of the closet. The sound echoed and escaped through the door. Nagihiko flinched.

"Did you hear something?" They immediately ran around, trying to pinpoint the sound. Nagihiko's arm wound around my shoulders and he placed his hand on top of my mouth. I felt my heart start pounding crazily inside of my chest. He needed to get his arm _off of me._

"If they see us inside of a closet, rumors will spread like wildfire," he said softly into my ear. "So keep quiet, alright?" he asked pleadingly. As tempting as it was to roll my eyes at his tone, I just nodded, knowing it was true. The fans might've kept quiet about it, but it was highly doubtful the sport's teams would. I heard one person stop in front of the closet.

"Have we checked in here?" he asked somebody.

"Nah, only the custodian has the key to that place," the guy retorted. "C'mon, let's go this way. It might've been from farther down."

They both left, their voices fading as they did.

"Nagihiko, get your arm and hand off of me," I said, my voice muffled from his hand. He did so quickly, and I glared at him pointedly, red. He was much too close for comfort. This closet was too small.

"Well, let's go," he said, gently taking my wrist and helping me stand up.

"Wait, we're seriously going to jump out the window?" I asked him as he inserted the key into the lock. He nodded.

"Rhythm, chara-change," Nagihiko said to his chara, who did exactly as told. He snapped his fingers, and the headphones reappeared. Nagihiko walked outside cautiously and opened the window. He gestured for me to come over and reluctantly, I did as told. He then took me into his arms, his arms carefully carrying me as he jumped out the window.

I felt the wind rush as he leapt out, and time was slowing down as the ground got steadily closer. I was going to kill Nagihiko for this.

We soon landed gracefully with Nagihiko on his feet. Darn. Personally, I was hoping for at least a sprained ankle or something. No such luck. I got down from him quickly, and then flicked his head again.

"Rima-chan, can you stop that?" he complained. I shook my head.

"You just made me jump out a _window_," I said, emphasizing the word. He sighed.

"So, what are we going to do now?" I asked him. He flipped open his phone to check the time.

"Well, basketball practice is over," he said, shifting his backpack around. "So we could always go and work on our project by the sakura trees."

He started walking before I could say anything. And they say he's a gentleman. I followed him over to the sakura trees and he settled down, his back leaning against the tree. I got out a book and read it, frowning at it every now and then.

I hate electricity. I took out the purple folder and looked at the several pages of notes. There were arrows and side-notes everywhere, and I recognized Nagihiko's neat handwriting. Had he been editing?

"Nagihiko, what is this…?" I trailed off when I realized he was sleeping. His softly slumbering form rose and fell. I glared at him, giving out a frustrated breath.

"Well, he is tired," Rhythm said as he floated next to my face. "He did have basketball practice, and then he had to carry you around everywhere… And let's face it; you still have weight even if you're tiny."

I flicked him. "This coming from somebody's who's not even a foot tall," I grumbled. I watched Nagihiko sleep for a bit, and then I hung my head in my hands. "Fine, I won't wake Girly-Boy up."

I continued reading, but every now and then, I looked back up to see if Nagihiko was awake yet. He had to take me home, after all. One time I looked, and I could've sworn he had a pained look on his face, but it quickly cleared.

I scribbled down a note, having Temari and Kusukusu helping me with the things that I didn't understand (which, as it turns out, was everything). Rhythm just watched us, every now and then chuckling.

"Like you pay attention either," I snapped at him. He grinned at me, his playboy smile flashing playfully.

"But I'm not going to be graded on what I do and don't know," he shot back. I ignored him after that.

"Mashiro-san?" Temari asked as she tapped something in my book. "Do you understand that?"

I looked at the spot. "Electric charge? Somewhat…"

Temari smiled at me kindly, but it was Kusukusu who came up and raised her hand, waving it fervently. "Kusukusu knows, Kusukusu knows!"

"Kusukusu, just give me the answer already," I said, rubbing my temples. Kusukusu smiled.

"Electric charge is a property of certain subatomic particles, which gives rise to and interacts with the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. The charge originates from the atom," she concluded. I gawked at her while Temari applauded.

"Correct, Kusukusu-san."

"How'd you know that?" I asked my chara. She blinked.

"Nikaidou-sensei explained it in class today. Weren't you paying attention?" I face-palmed. Figures Kusukusu would actually pay attention.

I heard a light chuckle from behind me, and I turned around, glaring at the culprit. I was surprised to see it was Kirshima-kun, and not Nagihiko, who was still sleeping like the dead.

"Kirshima-kun?" I inquired. He looked startled.

"Ah, Mashiro-san. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your… conversation?" he asked questioningly. I realized he couldn't see the charas and I looked like I was talking to myself. Keeping my cool, I just smiled.

"Did you need something?"

"I was just going to tell Fujisaki that the next practice is a few days from now at three-thirty since he wasn't answering my texts. Now I can see why," he said, gesturing to the sleeping form. I nodded uncomfortably and he shifted from foot to foot. That's when his cell went off and he flipped it open.

"I have to go," he said. "Bye, Mashiro-san!" He then waved at me and I waved back. I was relieved that he wasn't holding any grudges against me, and relieved that he left, allowing me to avoid any more awkward silences. That's when I checked my own cell and I flipped it closed again. Time to go.

"Nagihiko," I whispered, shaking him gently. "Nagihiko." I grew frustrated when he wasn't doing anything after several attempts. So that's when I yanked his hair. He snapped up, blinking groggily.

"Rima-chan?"

"You fell asleep," I told him dryly. He looked surprised. And then apologetic.

"I'm so sorry," he said. I shrugged.

"It's fine," I told him. He looked, to say the least, extremely surprised. Jerk. I'm not that inconsiderate.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," I said again, waving him off. "You need to take me home though."

He gathered his things and we started walking. "Ah, oh yeah, Kirishima-kun came by and said that practice is a few days from now at three-thirty," I told him. "He sent you a couple of texts, but _somebody_ never replied."

He ignored my second statement and took out his cellphone. "You weren't kidding when you said a couple," he said. "He sent sixteen."

I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. He grinned at me. "Sorry for dragging you around everywhere, Rima-chan."

I fixated him with a dark look. "You should be. You practically dragged me around the entire sport's section, made me hide in a closet, and then made me jump out of a _window_," I said, ending my rant.

"You were the one who wanted to take the short-cut," he said defensively. "Anyways," he said, hastily changing the subject after registering my face, "did you get anything done?"

"She didn't understand anything," Rhythm claimed. "Heck, Kusukusu knew more than her." Kusukusu and I glowered at him. I did it since he actually told him, but Kusukusu…

"Are you calling Kusukusu stupid?" she yelled at him. Needless to say, he ran. Never make Kusukusu angry. She'll slaughter you.

Nagihiko gave me an amused look. "So, you had help I presume?"

Before I could reply, Temari tugged on his sleeve. "She did do her work though. Two pages."

"That's a lot," he said, stunned. I felt triumphant. "Well, for you, I suppose," he mused. I kicked him.

"Kidding, kidding," he said, raising his arms.

We kept walking until we reached my house. Before I could even knock, the door was thrown open. "Ah, Rima, there you are. What do you want for dinner, do you want…" she stopped talking after seeing Nagihiko.

"You don't have to worry about Papa," she told us, most likely after seeing my (panicky) face. "He's sick right now, so he won't be coming out…"

I heard loud moans and the familiar sound of somebody dragging himself out of bed. I watched the bedroom door open, and my dad came out, sniffling. He looked horrible. And gross.

"What are you doing out of bed?" she scolded. He kept walking.

"I wanted to see my daughter," he said, adding, "and who she's with at the door."

I whirled around to face Nagihiko, but was shocked to see him with his hair in a high pony-tail. "Good evening!" he said girlishly. "Sorry I took her home so late, we were a bit… caught up in things." I saw my mother's eyes flash. I flinched. Why oh why did he have to phrase it that way?

My dad grabbed his hands. "I'm so happy that Rima has a friend like you! Thank you!" Nagihiko just nodded, and I could tell he wanted to back away from the deranged man that was my father. Figures.

"Well, I'll just let you say your goodbyes," my mom said innocently, slamming the front door as she guided my dad back to bed.

Nagihiko took out his hair-tie and gave me a small look. "Is it bad that I'm now prepared with this whenever I go to your house?"

I shrugged. "It's not my fault. I blame my dad."

He grinned. "Whatever, Rima-chan. I'll see you tomorrow!" he said, waving as he left. I watched him carefully, raising my hand faintly. I heard him sneeze as he left.

"What, no 'Bless you'?" he asked as he stood by the gate. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

"Goodbye, Nagihiko," I said firmly, and with another small shake of his head and an idiotic smile, he left.

I opened my own door and entered it. I walked up the stairs and entered my room, but accidentally stepped on something. I glared at the corner of a book peeking out. I picked it up and got ready to hurl it across the room. I did a double-take when I stared at the cover. Cinderella.

"Isn't this the book Nagihiko gave me?" I asked. Kusukusu landed on my shoulder as I flipped through the pages. I saw something lightly flutter out, and I picked it up, staring at it.

It was a photo of a girl. Her wide azure eyes were framed by long lashes and her dark, auburn curls were separated into two ponytails. She was grinning at the camera surrounded by millions of flowers while wearing a simple white sundress.

I flipped the picture over, trying to find a name or something. Kusukusu looked with me, but all we found was a date in the corner. I shrugged it off; it was probably nothing. I put the photo back into the book.

"Rima! Want to tell me what events caused you to be late today?" my mom yelled upstairs. I could imagine her with one of those smiles on her face. I groaned as I walked downstairs, with Kusukusu giggling beside me.

* * *

_I'm pretty sure I died while writing this chapter. My brain is half-dead now. And I still hate this chapter. It was hard. I kept bringing up the document, staring at it, then giving up. So yeah, sorry. D:_

_I'm sorry that I had to write about the fans again (they were sport's fans though!), but it was required... Maybe not really. But I kinda needed them since I couldn't think of how else to fit my ending... So yeah. Sorry about that. :) Yeah, and sorry that it's not all that funny. And sorry for the stupid way I described basketball._

_... I'm sorry for a lot of things in this chapter. ^^' Darn.  
_

_On another note, thanks for all of the reviews! They made my day everyday. I'll try to reply to them all if I haven't lately. Or at all. D: But seriously, I love you guys. ;) You're awesome! :D  
_

_I wanted to update this in time for New Years, since I wasn't going to write a one-shot... so that's why I did this now... ._. So yeah everybody, Happy New Years! Thanks for supporting this story during the few months of 2010. ;) I appreciate it very much. :D_

_Happy New Years (again)! :3_

_-Bluey-san  
_


	10. Day 8: A Rainy Day

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Disclaimer: Shugo Chara! isn't owned by me since I have a complete lack of creativity. Which means I could've never come up with magical talking eggs.  
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__BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

I slammed my fist onto the snooze button of my alarm clock. Note to self: get a new alarm clock that doesn't have such an annoying ring-tone. Just as I was about to lay my head back down onto my wonderfully comforting pillow, somebody flicked the lights on and said into it, "Honey, you better hurry or else you'll be late to school! Isn't Amu-chan coming to pick you up?"

Curse my mother and her amazing skills of logic and persuasion. I groggily stepped out of bed, and Kusukusu popped out of her egg with a massive yawn.

"Morning, Rima," she mumbled, until her flying got steadily lower and lower, and she finally did a face-plant into the ground. I watched her for a second, debating on whether or not to pick her up. After awhile, my 'good side' won, and I plucked her up and dropped her onto my pillow. If she gets one drop of drool on my pillow, I'm dumping her back on the floor though. I walked into my bathroom and did everything, brushing my teeth, combing my monster-like hair (which refuses to be tamed), and yanking on my uniform and stepped back out of the bathroom. I may look refreshed, but my mind was still half-asleep.

I grabbed my bag and stuff things in there, as for the specifics, I'm not sure, and then walked out the door. "Oh, Kusukusu," I said to myself. I walked back inside, grabbed Kusukusu and dumped her into her egg. She blinked once or twice, and then made the egg close.

She muttered something along the lines of, "Tell me when the bacon's ready," and retreated into her egg. I glared at the shell for a second, and then shoved it into my bag. In truth, I really won't need to tell her when the bacon's ready. She has an incredible sense of smell. She'll know herself.

"Morning," I mumbled as I walked into the kitchen. My mom came over with waffles and bacon. And, right on time, Kusukusu popped out, and landed on my plate, nibbling on a bacon strip contentedly. My mom was pouring herself a cup of coffee, inhaling it like crazy. Then she poured herself about five more cups. Note to self: never get in between her mom and her coffee. She may forget that I am in fact her flesh-and-blood child and kill me.

I poured syrup all over my waffles and started picking at them. "Rima, you got syrup on the bacon!" Kusukusu whined.

"Whoops," I whispered sarcastically. I heard the bell ring, and I automatically grabbed a couple of bacon strip and ran over to the door, grabbing my bag along the way.

"Bye Mom," I called.

"Bye, have fun at school!" she yelled back. "Be careful on your way home; make sure you walk with a friend on the way home; and don't follow anybody into an alley!"

"Uh-huh." I then quickly stepped out the door and found Amu and Yaya grinning at me cheerfully.

"Morning, Rima," Amu said, shifting her bag to a more comfortable position as we started the trek to school.

"Good morning, Rima-tan!" Yaya chirped while reaching into a massive bag of candy corn.

Kusukusu broke out of her egg and started floating about with Ran, Miki, Su, and Pepe, all of them laughing as they talked; it was mostly about them dreading the 'meeting' they were having later.

"Ah, it's such nice weather today!" Amu said as she stretched her arms. The skies were a pure blue with a few puffy white clouds floating about in the sky. The sun shone brightly down, making the dew on the grass glisten and sparkle.

"I heard it might rain later though," Yaya said with her mouth full. Way to spoil a moment, Yaya.

"With this kind of weather now? I doubt it," Amu replied, looking at the skies. I really didn't care about the weather.

"Amu, did you do the math homework last night?" I inquired while eating my bacon. I offered Amu one, and she grabbed it, while Yaya declined, shoving the candy corn in my face. I shook my head 'no'.

"Did we have math homework last night?" Amu asked, looking confused. She stopped and stared ahead for a second, her face thoughtful.

"Yeah, the review sheet," I replied, arching a single eyebrow. "You didn't do it, did you?" She shook her head, her eyes quickly beginning to have a panicked look in it.

"Of course Amu-chii forgot!" Yaya said with a laugh. "Rima-tan, you did it?"

"Yeah," I said back. Amu groaned. But then she looked at me again.

"I'm surprised you did it, Rima. You usually put it off until last period or something, and yesterday, you and Nagihiko had that 'moment'," she said with a wide and excited grin. I ignored the last part.

"I did it last night during dinner, and my dad helped me," I said simply, flipping my hair over my shoulder. "That's it. I'm sure Kazami-sensei will be quite surprised to see I actually did my homework for once though."

Yaya started talking with her mouth full. "Yaya always does her homework because Yaya's mom makes Yaya do it," she said glumly. Both Amu and I decided it wise not to point out that she still usually gets all of the answers wrong anyways.

"I need to do it then!" Amu cried out. "During homeroom or something, maybe…?"

"Is something wrong?" I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Tadase.

"Good morning!" he said politely to us. I waved and Yaya chirped again, shoving her bag into his face, waving it around. He shook his head, giving her a smile.

"G-g-good morning!" Amu stammered out.

"Is something wrong, Hinamori-san?" he asked again gently. "I'd be happy to help you."

"Amu didn't do her math review, and she needs to do it during homeroom," I told him, earning a glare from Amu. She'll thank me in the end.

"Oh, I'll help you with it! I did it last night, so don't worry," Tadase said, a cheerful smile on his face, his sparkles traveling through the air. Amu blushed and nodded, making nonsense sounds. They walked away, a lovey-dovey atmosphere around them.

I heard a picture flash beside me and an evilly grinning Yaya. She turned towards me again and said, "Bye, Rima-tan! Yaya needs to go to homeroom now!" And with a pout, she ran off.

Kusukusu had ditched me, off to go be with the other charas. And so, I was now alone. I entered the massive gates of the school, a small sigh escaping from me. I turned when I heard somebody yell my name.

"Rima-chan!" I saw the long, purple hair and knew immediately who it was.

"Cross-dresser," I acknowledged curtly, nodding my head. His smile faltered for a second, but it was quickly put firmly back in place.

"Do you have to do that this early in the morning?"

"Yeah, I do," I responded, giving him a sharp glare. He ran his fingers through his hair, an almost exasperated and amused breath coming out of him. Then he sneezed suddenly before replying.

"Thanks, Rima-chan."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

People watched us as we walked off to class, some staring intently, whispering amongst themselves.

"… I blame you if they talk about yesterday," I piped up. He cringed.

"It wasn't really my fault, you suggested going that way," he said defensively.

"Whatever, Girly-Boy, whatever," I said with a scoff, and we finally reached the classroom, both walking to our respective seats. Which just so happened to be right next to each other. Why, cruel fate, why?

I looked to beside me to see Amu freaking out with a poor, poor Tadase _trying_ to help Amu. A warning, Tadase, _never help Amu with homework._ You shall die trying, literally. Her last tutor is now buried in a cemetery in Kyoto. Sucks for him.

I set my bag on the table, pulling out my books. It seems I put a bit too many in here… Eh. That's what happens when I'm half-asleep, getting ready for school. I bring excessive items. I shoved it all into my desk, and all but a few fit. "Crap."

I set the remaining ones on top of my desk, until I saw one that didn't look like one of my textbooks at all. I picked it up and blinked. The Cinderella book. I flipped through it, furrowing my eyebrows. I finally found it, and picked up the picture. I examined it again. Who was she? I'm willing to bet it was Nagihiko's photo…

Maybe it was his girlfriend?

I hadn't exactly thought of that yesterday… I felt my stomach churn slightly, and I shuddered. I felt… mad, almost. I stared at the picture, and looked around for Nagihiko. He was talking to his basketball buddies and such. Athletic freak. I flipped the picture over, hunting for the girl's name. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Darn it. I leaned back into my seat, frustrated. What the heck. Who doesn't label pictures anymore?

I turned it back over, looking at her. She was pretty, so it really wouldn't be that surprising if she was his girlfriend. I tugged on a lock of my hair. Maybe I should just ask…

"Rima-chan, what are you looking at?" I shoved the picture into my desk, and looked up and saw Nagihiko looking back at me kindly. I didn't want to show him the picture now. I'd do it later… Instead, I showed him the cover of the book, and he looked vaguely surprised, and embarrassed. I raised a single eyebrow at his face.

"Hmm, you remember this book?" I asked, showing him the title page. He took the book and read it, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"That's pretty sappy," he muttered to himself.

"You wrote it," I pointed out.

"Ah, that's true, isn't it?" he said, smiling impishly.

"Neh, Rima, Nagihiko, what are you looking at?" Amu asked, popping up. Nagihiko slammed the book shut and hid it behind his back.

"Nothing," we said automatically, exchanging a look.

"Did you finish the math review, Amu?" I asked quickly, hastily changing the subject. Thankfully, she didn't notice anything.

"Yeah, finally, thanks to Tadase-kun," she said with another crimson blush. Tadase smiled cheerfully.

"It was no problem."

"No, it was a problem, I feel bad for troubling you…" and blah blah blah. And so it goes, with them off to their lovely mood. It would be one heck of a lot more interesting if that Tsukiyomi guy dropped in. Nagihiko gave me the book, and I sneaked the picture back into it, and then put it under the rest of my books.

Then, Nikaidou-sensei burst inside, clapping his hands loudly to catch our attention. At least he didn't fall on his face today. "Alright, alright, let's begin!"

_~Time-skip~_

Science class is going to kill me one day. It just will. Nikaidou-sensei was now lecturing his butt off about electricity, and most of the class wasn't even listening. Amu was in her 'cool'n'spicy' pose, legs and arms crossed as she looked at the board coolly. Tadase paid attention, jotting down the occasional note here and there. And Nagihiko, that stupid idiot who just so happens to be my partner, was attentive, leaning on his arm, his girly hair swishing behind him.

"Mashiro-san, can you tell me what an electric charge is?" Stupid Nikaidou-sensei, why'd he call on me? Most likely because he knew I wasn't paying attention to his lesson.

Electric charge… Where did I hear that from? I heard some chairs scraping against the floor as my fanboys stood up for me. "Rima-sama doesn't have to answer that question if she doesn't want to!"

"Yeah!" the others cheered.

"Hey, hey, she's a student just like the rest of us," a few girls protested, looking ticked. I was still searching my brain. Where…

Oh, that's right. Kusukusu had told me yesterday about them… What the heck did she say again?

"An electric charge is a property of certain subatomic particles, which gives rise to and interacts with the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. The charge originates from the atom," I recited, trying not to show any signs of annoyance. I'm pretty sure Kusukusu said _something_ along those lines. My memory's not horrible, at least.

The class stared. And stared. _And stared._

Personally, I wasn't sure whether or not to be offended or not. Nikaidou-sensei's jaw slammed into the floor, along with Amu and a couple of others. Tadase looked partially stunned. Nagihiko next to me might've been the only person who wasn't shell-shocked. In fact, he was smirking like the smart-aleck he is, but then he sneezed, wiping the look off his face.

"M-M-Mashiro-san… How'd you know that?" Nikaidou-sensei asked, his eyes wide.

I was pretty much offended. It's nice to know how 'highly' they think of me. "I paid attention during your lesson," I said impassively, giving everybody a cold glare. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No… not at all," he said back, although his face said otherwise.

"Whatever," I said indifferently. Nagihiko chuckled beside me, and I kicked his chair. Nikaidou-sensei was gradually coming out of his stupor (quite sadly, the rest of the class had yet to recover), and he nodded to himself.

"Alright then. Let's see, for homew—"Nikaidou-sensei stopped abruptly as the bell rang loudly, and the kids all ditched before Nikaidou-sensei could assign anything. He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Teaching gives me such huge migraines."

Amu, Tadase, Nagihiko, and I walked out of the classroom, Tadase smiling, his sparkles drastically affecting Amu. "I wonder if he does that on purpose sometimes…" I mumbled to Nagihiko. He shrugged.

"I think it's more of a natural thing," he said thoughtfully, tapping his cheek. "A habit he can't break, or something like that. By the way," he added, looking at me, "do you have the Cinderella book?"

"Yeah. It's in my bag. Do you want it back?"

"You can keep it," he said. "I already wrote that note to you on it anyways. It'd be pointless to take it back…" He shifted his bag and stared out the window. "Huh. The weather changed pretty fast. It's pretty gloomy out there."

"Ah, looks like Yaya was right, Amu," I told her. Amu stiffened. "You lost to the girl who uses her shoe to predict the weather. Congrats."

"Rima!" she cried out, crossing her arms as she tried to maintain her image.

"Well, we should probably get going before it actually starts raining," Tadase pointed out, laughing lightly. Amu quickly nodded her agreement, and Nagihiko smiled. I messed with a lock of my hair as we walked outside.

"Whoa, it's really dark," Amu said. "It'll be some storm." Gray clouds filled the sky, making it feel cold and dark.

"I'll call my mom to ask us to pick us up, Amu-chan," Tadase said as he pulled out his phone. She blushed.

"Oh, looks like you're going to Tadase's house," I whispered to her sarcastically. "Lucky."

"I know, aren't I?" she asked dreamily. Obviously, she can't see the sarcasm in my statement. I decided not to point it out to my delusional best friend though. Nagihiko was kicking at a pebble vaguely.

Then I felt it. Tiny droplets of water as it raced towards the Earth, and everybody started running. "Why does it start raining now?" I grumbled as we raced towards the Royal Garden. Eventually, I started lagging behind, and I panted heavily. That's when I saw it. A hand. I looked up and saw whose hand it was. "Girly-Boy, do you want something?"

He rolled his eyes, took my hand, and started running. I couldn't even protest. Stupid girl-boy _thing._ We ran inside the glass-domed building and slammed the door shut behind us. I grimaced and pointed at our hands. "Let go."

He laughed nervously and did so. Amu and Tadase had already collapsed into their seats and were now staring at Yaya, who was eating candy like no tomorrow. "Amu-chii, Yaya was right!" she said, pointing at Amu accusingly.

Amu froze. I settled down in my seat next to her and said simply, "I told you so."

Tadase, coming to Amu's rescue, smiled and said, "Well, we should probably begin the meeting before it starts raining harder."

"Yeah," Amu agreed. Yaya pouted, but didn't offer a protest.

I sipped my tea as Tadase started his rambling again. X-eggs, Easter, and whatnot. It was basically the same thing repeatedly, over and over.

"And lastly, no news on the kidnapper," Tadase finally said as he finished flipping through his papers. It made him look like a news anchor or something. "I think that's it for this meeting. Due to the rain, we won't need to water the flowers this week either," he added.

Yaya cheered. "Hooray! It was Yaya's turn anyways."

I heard a phone buzz, and Tadase glanced at his phone screen. "My mom's only a few minutes away from school, so we should go up front in a little bit." Amu nodded.

"Yaya's going home with her friend for ballet," Yaya cried out, waving at us. "She's outside right now, so Yaya'll see you guys later!" The door slammed shut behind her.

"Ah, what about you two?" Amu asked. Nagihiko and I exchanged a glance.

"My mom and dad are working late tonight, so they can't," I responded, sipping my tea again. Japanese tea, ew. Since Tadase doesn't know how to make anything _but _Japanese tea, I've grown to tolerate it. It's still pretty disgusting though.

"My mom and Baaya-san are driving my cousins back to their house," Nagihiko replied with a sigh. I looked up in mild surprise.

"So the demon twins have finally left?"

"Yes. Aren't you relieved, Rima-chan?"

"Yeah, now I can finally sleep without worrying I'll be murdered in my sleep." He smirked. Amu and Tadase both looked confused, and I waved them off. "It's nothing."

"So what are you two going to do?" Tadase asked worriedly.

Another exchange of glances occurred. "I don't know."

"Well, I guess we can go back inside the building to work on the project," Nagihiko said doubtfully. "That is, unless Nikaidou-sensei's already left. We'll just have to wait until the storm blows over. Honestly, I didn't bring an umbrella or anything with me. This rain was pretty sudden."

Amu looked at me with a _see-I-told-you-so_ look, which I ignored blatantly. Tadase's phone vibrated again, and he looked at us with another worried look. "Are you sure you two will be okay?"

"Yeah," I said, holding back a biting remark. "You two can go off and 'do' your project," I told them, putting air quotes around the _do_. Amu raised an eyebrow.

"Why'd you put air quotes there?"

"Because we all know you're going to go off to la-la land and not do anything," I said back scornfully. "Or at least, one of you will." Amu flushed tomato-red, the color clashing with her bubble-gum pink hair.

Nagihiko smiled, and Tadase, being the utterly oblivious person he is, blinked. "Anyways, you two can go," Nagihiko said hastily, to avoid any questions that Tadase was going to ask. They walked to the door and started running, using their bags for cover from the rain.

"Well, I guess we should try to head inside the building," Nagihiko said dubiously. "Let's go before it starts pouring harder." I glanced outside.

"Too late," I said, pointing towards the pouring rain outside. He groaned and observed the rain with a pout on his face.

"We don't have to go very far, so it should be fine," he said unhappily. "We can use our bags for cover…" he mumbled to himself.

"Fine, let's go," I said abruptly, grabbing it. Nagihiko just stood there patiently, and I scrutinized him briefly.

"Where's your bag?" I asked slowly. He laughed sheepishly.

"I think… I left it in the classroom," he replied nervously. I sighed. "I'll be fine though," he continued hastily. "It's not that far, and if I chara-change with Rhythm, I won't get that wet."

Rhythm grinned, flashing me a thumbs-up. "Fine. Temari can stick with me and Kusukusu," I said, exasperated. How he manages to get straight A's but somehow he's able to forget his own stupid book-bag is something I'll never understand.

"Chara-change!" Rhythm cried out, snapping his fingers. We set off, and I managed to keep out most of the rain. Thankfully, being small was benefitting me in this situation. The rain was pouring hard, and I panted as I sprinted across the area towards the doors. Quite sadly, my short legs don't do well in sprinting.

Eventually we reached the doors, and I breathed heavily as I leaned onto the wall. Nagihiko fumbled with the door handle and the door finally swung open, and we leapt inside. I was relieved to be away from the rain. Even though I had the bag, a few drops of water managed to catch me. Nagihiko, on the other hand…

He was soaked to the bone, as was Rhythm. He was wringing out his hair currently, frowning. He sneezed loudly and it echoed through the lone hallways of the school. Rhythm coughed right afterwards. Nagihiko rubbed his nose as he sighed.

"It's cold," Rhythm whispered. Nagihiko only nodded his head a fraction of an inch, as if he didn't want it to be obvious. Then he started walking ahead, giving me a bright grin.

"Let's go get started!" he said enthusiastically. I snorted; count on Nagihiko to be pumped up about science. I saw him shiver slightly and I observed him for a minute as we walked down the quiet hallway. His blue Guardian cape was plastered to his uniform, and practically every inch of his clothing stuck to his skin tightly. I slipped my Guardian cape off and handed it to him, avoiding all forms of eye contact.

"Eh?" I turned towards Nagihiko, who was blinking at the red cape.

"Just use it," I snapped, pushing it into him firmly. He looked surprised.

"… But… won't this be kind of… small?" he asked quizzically. I gave him a dirty look.

"Just shut up and take the stupid cape Nagihiko."

Kusukusu giggled while Temari scolded Nagihiko on proper manners and how it was impolite to not accept a gift. Rhythm snickered at his owner's predicament. Nagihiko contemplated the cape and then decided to just drape it over his shoulders.

"Thanks, Rima-chan," he said earnestly. I nodded.

"Whatever," I said coolly.

He was still shivering, and Rhythm and him took turns sneezing. Every few minutes, there'd be a cough too, and I was almost relieved to see our classroom. _Almost._ Just because we left the hallway (which was causing their repeated sniffles to echo) doesn't mean he was going to stop his sick symptoms.

"Do you need something to drink?" I asked stiffly. Nagihiko gawked at me. "You look stupid like that; shut your mouth," I growled at him. He closed it slowly, looking vaguely suspicious. I snorted at his face.

"I'm not going to poison your drink, Nagihiko," I scoffed. "No matter how tempting it is," I mumbled under my breath.

"Could you repeat that, Rima-chan?' he asked pleasantly. I shook my head sweetly.

"Nothing."

"Well, to answer your previous question, I am a bit thirsty, so I'll go get something to drink," he said cheerfully. "Rhythm, you coming?" he called back as he started to leave the classroom. Pft, I knew it. He still thinks I'm going to do spike his water.

I don't have anything with me to actually spike it _with_, so it's not like I could.

I slumped into my desk, staring out the window. Obviously, Nikaidou-sensei had already left. The only person who was in here was the custodian, who jumped when she saw us, but didn't comment. Kusukusu and Temari were drawing shapes on the fogged up window, and I stood up to watch them.

Then I saw it: a flash of lightning that streaked across the sky. Thunder cracked loudly, and I clenched my fists firmly, ignoring my instinct to scream and run around in circles. Kusukusu glanced back worriedly, but I waved her onwards, and reluctantly, she returned to playing with Temari. I sat back down in my seat, staring at the purple folder. The lights flickered momentarily, and I glared up at the florescent lights, practically threatening them to stay on.

Because, I swear, if I am in another power outage with the purple-headed cross-dressing freak, I will die. Most likely, at least.

I slumped in my seat, tapping my nails against the desk, trying to ignore the loud booms of thunder and tried focusing on the two charas squeals of fun (which was just as bad, in actuality).

Nagihiko came back inside talking to Rhythm. He came over and dragged the desk next to mine _right next to mine._ Screw him.

"The last time it rained, I was over at your house, right?" Nagihiko said thoughtfully as he watched Rhythm go join the girls by the window. Poor chara; half the time, he has no boy charas to talk to.

Just watch, one day, he will become anti-social. Nagihiko pulled out the cursed purple folder and I leaned onto my hand, bored. Gazing out the window (and, I just realized, I have been doing that far too often lately. I blame the lack of entertainment), I murmured, "Stupid cross-dressing freak," into the palm of my hand. Nagihiko stiffened considerably beside me.

"Thanks, Rima-chan. I appreciate it very much." I nodded my head, giving him a sweet smile. I heard a loud crack of thunder and bit the inside of my cheek, hard. I ignored the obviously concerned look of Nagihiko and snatched the folder from his hands, looking at our notes with extreme interest.

"Rima-chan," he sang softly. I shoved a book (with more force than necessary) into his chest, and he coughed with the sudden impact. Deliberately avoiding his eyes, I gave him about ten sheets of notebook paper (because five just isn't enough!) and resisted the temptation of stabbing him with the pencil. I then grabbed my own book and started scribbling away, ignoring his prying look.

"Rima-chan," he said again, in that same sing-song voice. He kept saying it, over and over, and I whirled my head around, giving him as hard of a glare as I could muster.

"What?" I snapped. Another crack of lightning arced across the sky, the loud boom of thunder sounding behind it. I clenched my fists slightly tighter, but I didn't look away from Nagihiko's eyes once. I heard Kusukusu, Temari, and Rhythm shut up, and I knew they were watching us intently. Nagihiko, on the other hand, was completely calm and collected. The only thing I could detect was the concern: something he obviously wasn't hiding.

"You're scared," he said simply. I shook my head furiously. "Yeah, you are," he said, chuckling, giving me a sympathetic look. I returned it with a cold look. What he did next, however, managed to surprise me. He took my hand and started humming that faintly familiar song in a cheerful manner, as if the rain outside didn't exist, as if the misery in this world was never here, as if this whole time, everything was perfect.

(Pft, I wish.)

I froze, staring at our intertwined hands. I almost wanted him to let go. _Almost._ But a tiny part of me wanted him to stay there, and to never let go. _Only because_ he was most likely going to be my ticket home. That's the only reason. Jerk. But the funny thing is, I didn't mind it all that much either. It made me feel… better.

"Rima-chan, you're supposed to be working," he scolded after awhile. "Besides, what in the world is so distracting that…" he trailed off as he followed the direction of my eyes. "Oh. Um, well…"

Kusukusu and Temari both came over, each resting on one shoulder. Rhythm fell on top of Rhythm's head, and Nagihiko winced as a loud sneeze blasted out of Rhythm's tiny body. I smirked, if only for a minute.

"Aw, look, Rima-chan smiled!" he said happily. I gave him a withering look.

"Way to ruin a moment, Girly-Boy, way to ruin a moment."

He sneezed before he replied. "Sorry, but it's nice to see your smile. It looks…" he seemed to be searching for a word, and he closed his eyes as he thought. "Nice."

"A very descriptive word, Nagihiko," I said mockingly.

"It was a compliment," he said with a frown.

"Fine. Thanks," I said as I turned back to the book. He decided not to push it (smart guy).

Lightning flashed, creating uneven lines and cracks across the dark sky. The loud thunder really didn't help. I cringed slightly and I pressed my pencil harder against the paper. Kusukusu did bala-balance with Temari (who was blushing) and I offered a meek smile in return. Then I felt it: a small squeeze. I looked back down at my hand (which was still connected with _that person_) and followed the arm whose it was attached to.

He offered me an easy-going grin, and I turned away. "I'm not scared."

He patted my head. "Uh-huh."

"Don't 'uh-huh' me like you understand me," I hissed. I hate how he's so 'nice' and so 'understanding'. It was enough to drive me, a sane girl, insane.

"Rima-chan, I _know_ you're scared," he stated flatly. I looked into his eyes. An almost piercing sadness was reflected back, and in fact, I wonder if he knew that he was pretty much showing off a lot of sorrow. It reminded me of that time in the grocery store. "But you know, it's okay to be scared. It's okay to want to run away."

"It's weak," I retaliated.

"Is not."

"Is too."

"No."

"Yes."

"Nope."

"Aren't you supposed to face your fears?" I retorted irritably. "Isn't that what everybody says?"

"I didn't say to _not_ do that. But what you're doing is different. You won't even say you're scared. You deny it, and all I'm saying is that it's okay to be scared and to not hide it."

I hate him and his stupid psychology crap. "Nagihiko, is it impossible for you to shut up?"

"Maybe. Does it annoy you?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes, because you're sounding like Doctor Phil," I hissed. He shifted, and I felt his black blazer brush against my hand, and I shuddered. It was still damp, and I looked at him. He wasn't even shivering, and he turned towards me, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"You're still wet."

"Rima-chan, I think I already know that since I'm the one who's wearing it," he said, completely amused. The lights blinked out for a second, and we both started, me yanking on his arm as they left. Eventually, they all came back on, with Nagihiko groaning loudly.

"That hurt," he complained.

"I swear, if I am in another power outage with you, I might as well die," I said in exasperation. He snorted.

"Are you referring to our 'sleepover'?" he inquired, putting quotes around the word. I scrunched my forehead.

"That sounds so perverted," I commented, turning pink. He gave me a sideways glance.

"It's not _my _fault your mind is twisted like that," he said, starting to laugh. "Besides, you're the pervert for thinking like that. It's not like we did anything _bad_."

"You didn't wear pants," I shot back.

"_I _was wearing shorts," he immediately corrected, turning pink as well. I coughed.

"Boxers." He retaliated by giving me a pout and sneezing.

"And how, exactly, do you know this?" My eyes narrowed.

"You're a pervert. It's obvious they'd be boxers."

"Mhm, Rima-chan, whatever you say," he said with a wink. He stared out the window. "The rain's coming down really hard," he whispered almost to himself, looking lost. He was quiet (oh, how rare that is), and I studied him. His amber eyes were clouded over and almost dull, and as lightning flashed through the window, it reflected brightly in his eyes.

His head snapped down and he offered a smile, giving my hand another tight squeeze. And then we heard it: three loud giggles and we turned our heads to see the charas grinning like maniacs.

"What?" we asked together, me quirking an eyebrow at their expressions.

"It's just that… Rima, you say you hate… Nagi, but you… haven't protested… once against him… holding… your hand!" Kusukusu bubbled, laughing at pretty much every other world while tumbling around in the air. I blinked, trying to sort out the sentence since Kusukusu had giggled so much.

When I finally did, I flushed, glaring at her. Temari grinned, quite differently from her usual elegant smile. "And Nagihiko, weren't you the one who said maybe she could be…" she sang softly, and beside her, Rhythm's grin grew even wider. Nagihiko's eyes widened slightly, and he turned bright red.

"I said _similar to_ her," he mumbled. "A reminder, I guess."

"What'd you say about me?"

"Nothing," he said in an automatic tone, glaring at the two innocently whistling charas while Kusukusu wailed on and on about 'secrets'.

"You're obviously lying," I said, giving him a glare. He sneezed and cleared his throat before looking back up.

"Rima-chan, I'm sick," he pointed out. "So I shouldn't have to answer questions." What a crappy excuse.

"Besides, you never told me why you're still letting me hold your hand." I pulled my hand free from his grasp and instead curled my fingers around the edge of my skirt.

"On second thought, why don't we do our science project?" I said with my sweetest voice, batting my eyelashes.

"Nope, I think I wanna know."

"Shut up and work," I demanded.

"Oh, so now you actually _want_ to work?"

"Seriously, _how_ do you stay quiet?"

He smiled to himself and started working. Low rumbles of thunder sounded, but there were no streaks of lightning. Disappointedly, the rain still wasn't letting up. Which meant that I had to stay with Girly-Boy for a little while longer. Boo.

I flipped through the pages, bored. Electricity isn't interesting; it just doesn't hold my attention. Nagihiko wasn't doing much better, surprisingly. He kept looking out the window (even though all that was out there was gray, gray, and more gray), and occasionally, he would look at me, and then the charas.

I heard a loud growl and whirled around to see Kusukusu rubbing her tummy. "Rima, do we have food?" I sighed as I rummaged through my bag. I was feeling hungry too.

"No."

It was quiet as I just stared at my book. Boredom. Sucks.

"Nagihiko. I'm bored."

"Rima-chan, weren't you the one who suggested that we work on our project?" he said vaguely as he twirled his pencil in his hand.

"… Maybe."

He briefly laughed, but his attention was turned as he watched Temari pounce and attack Rhythm. Rhythm sneezed, only making her angrier. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and Kusukusu tried to restrain her. Nagihiko laughed harder, only stopping after he abruptly sneezed. I smiled a tiny bit. He looked surprised, but then he grinned.

"I told you that you look nice when you smile."

"Oh shut it."

I walked over to the window and watched the wind blow harshly against the trees, making them rock dangerously. Thunder rang out, and tiny cracks of lightning flashed every now and then. I clenched the edge of my skirt again. There's a good chance that there'll be a power outage later.

I felt somebody rest their hand on top of my head. Nagihiko, obviously, since he was the only other thing that was alive and bigger than me in this room. "Would you kindly remove your hand off of my head?"

I felt his gaze as I continued glowering out the window, watching the rain dance outside. A huge bolt of lightning struck, and I felt my nails digging into my skin. Then I felt somebody tug on my sleeve. He took my hand again, enclosing my tiny one with his. It was a simple gesture, and my eyes hardened as I turned to him.

"Why do you do this?" I asked abruptly. "I mean, we don't really… like each other." When did it get that hard to say that?

He looked startled by the words. "I… like you, Rima-chan." I felt my heart thump, but I disregarded it. It was probably from another flash of lightning from outside. "I don't know how you feel about me, but…" he trailed off.

"I do this because we're, or I think we are, friends. Like I said when we were babysitting you… I have your back. I promise that I'll help you when you need it." I said nothing as his grip on my hand tightened. As if to lighten the mood, he said playfully, "Although, it's kind of sad that the help you need is to prevent you from going into summer school."

I gave him a dirty look as we walked back to our seats. I squeezed his hand (maybe harder than necessary), and he winced. I smiled a tiny bit. "Thanks, cross-dresser."

"Rima-chan, did you really need to add 'cross-dresser' onto the end of your thank you?"

"Yup, because if I didn't, it'd be too formal and weird," I said scornfully. We walked back to the desks. I saw Kusukusu and Temari on another one, crouched over something. I'm willing to bet it is Rhythm's dead body.

"… Hey, where'd my phone go?" I muttered. I'm pretty sure it was in my bag…

"Oh, Rima, it's right here." Kusukusu floated over with the familiar orange device in her hands. I gave her a suspicious look.

"Why'd you have it?" She gave me an innocent smile.

"No reason." Temari and Rhythm are rubbing off on her. She's getting better at lying… Quite frankly, I'm not sure whether or not I'm supposed to be proud or not. Nagihiko looked confused as well, but our attention was reverted when his phone vibrated.

"Hello? Oh, Baaya-san. Yes, we're out of the rain, but we're still at school… Are you picking us up? Alright, thank you. Bye," he said calmly and politely into the phone. Am I finally leaving school, since lately, I have been spending too much time here.

"They just got back from the drive, so Baaya-san is coming to… pick us… up," he sneezed the last part. He rubbed his temples. "I guess we should go wait up front."

I agreed and we both tried to not notice the psychotic giggles that Temari, Kusukusu, and a now alive Rhythm were exchanging. We stood there by the doors of the school, waiting patiently (or me, impatiently) as we tried to see a huge car pull up to the front.

"What _isn't_ massive in your family?" I asked him, being completely honest. He gave me a dry look we ran (this time, _both_ of us had our bags) to the car.

"I would've come outside with the umbrella," Baaya-san protested as we got in. "And Master Nagihiko, you're all wet, you'll get sick! And…" she stopped as she stared at something.

"Hm, what are you…" We both followed her direction on the way to our hands. "Oh, well, this is because…" Nagihiko was panicking and I froze. I snatched my hand away, pursing my lips. Baaya-san gave us a mysterious look as she returned to the front seat, and we exchanged a look, except Nagihiko's looked more informed than mine. He sucks.

"Hmph." I turned to the window, but I felt him watching me. I turned towards him again, annoyed. He was just about to touch my shoulder (or, the one Kusukusu wasn't sleeping on), and I glared daggers at it as it finally dropped back to his side. He laughed nervously.

"Baaya-san doesn't know where you live…"

"Don't you know where I live?" I asked aloud. He cringed.

"Eh, Master Nagihiko, you even know where she lives?" she exclaimed, shocked.

"Thanks, Rima-chan," he said with a groan as he watched the elderly lady swerve the car at the news. Oh. I guess that would make things more… I mean, if he knew where I lived and everything…

Oops.

I gave her the directions to my house uneasily, since I wasn't all that good at them myself. Luckily or unluckily for me, Nagihiko was pretty much a genius at everything and knew the exact way.

What _can't _he do?

"Looks like the rain's finally letting up," Nagihiko said breezily. I looked out. It was only drizzling now, and all signs of lightning were gone. I was relieved, since that meant no power outage, which meant hot food (something of which we were deprived of at school).

Then I felt that familiar (isn't it _bad_ if it's familiar now?) weight on my tiny hand, and I turned towards Nagihiko. Who had those headphones around his neck, which means…

He grinned, differently from his usual 'kind and elegant smile' and it was now 'playboy-ish', something that would make girls swoon. "Does this remind you of something, Rima-chan?"

"No, Nagihiko, it doesn't. I mean, because we _didn't_ just spend most of our time holding hands," I barked at him. A smile curled onto his face, and he winked.

I grabbed Rhythm by his shirt and flicked his forehead. He flew away, rubbing it and whining to Kusukusu, who wasn't holding much sympathy. Nagihiko, who was now unchara-changed, and he frowned confused. "Rhythm, am I right?"

I nodded. He turned towards his boy chara. "Y'know, Rhythm, you've chara-changed with me a lot. Why?"

Rhythm knocked on his skull. "It's to get something through to your thick skull," he said bluntly. "Without telling you straight out."

I want to know if Nagihiko, Mr. Perfect, doesn't. "And what might this be?"

Rhythm's grin returned. "Oh, but it might inv—" Temari appeared threateningly with her naginata, and he whimpered. "Nevermind."

Kusukusu giggled. I bet she knew, but the chances of her telling me are most likely slim.

"Rima-chan, that's it, right?" he said, as he coughed for a bit. I nodded, and she pulled to a stop there.

"Will you be alright? Are your parents home?" I shrugged; I didn't know.

"Probably. Thanks for the ride," I said gratefully, bowing my head. She laughed behind the sleeve of her kimono, giving me a secretive wink. And here I though elderly woman can't pull off winks.

I got out of the car, but I stopped for a second. I felt like I owed a _tiny, tiny_ bit… Something to him. Crap.

I knocked on his window, and it slid down slowly. "Is something the matter?"

I took a deep breath. "Thanks… Nagihiko," I whispered to him. "And… maybe I do like you," I admitted reluctantly. "But only like that," I added with a growl.

I ran off to my house with Kusukusu beside me. Nagihiko was still by the door, giving me a _–holy crap she said something nice-_ look. A small smirk spread onto my face.

"Bye, Girly-Boy," I called out, giving him a short wave. He pouted for a second, but gave me a bright grin in return, sliding the window shut as it retreated back into its original position. I inserted the key and opened the door, and right then and there, I realized something important.

… I'm pretty sure I just left my school bag inside of his stupid car. _Shoot._

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_Please note- writing fluff is an ability Bluey-san lacks. Please do not sue for any dead brain cells._

_Sorry for the kinda late update. I had school and stuff... And I had to rewrite about ten pages of this chapter because I did something... stupid. Hooray for my stupidity. :P So yeah, I'm sorry. :'D  
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_Ahaha, this may be random, but when I was writing the previous chapter, we were learning volleyball in gym. And I now understand Rima's feelings- because I can't play volleyball either. I dodge it more than I... hit it. Which is the point, I guess. Oh, but on the bright side, I can serve... most of the time. :D_

_Okay, besides that unimportant CRAP that you really shouldn't care about... This is my tenth chapter of Sparks Will Fly. I think that's weird... It's gone by so fast... :( Oh well, at least I made it here... AND ANOTHER THING._

_HOLY CRAP, just a little while ago, I realized... I have a hundred reviews on here. And I practically spazzed out. And yes, it is extremely scary to watch me have a spasm. But seriously, thank you for all of the really nice reviews (all of which I don't deserve -_-), favorites, reading, everything! I really couldn't have gotten this far without you guys... So really._

_Thanks. You guys are amazing. :3_

_Reviewers: (Anonymous/non-PM-able)_

_Yannami: Kirishima... I dunno~ :) Ahaha, thanks. Yeah, Rima better step up her game... Thanks for reviewing! ;D  
_

_Kay, gotta go! See ya laters peeps. :)  
_

_-Bluey-san  
_


	11. Day 9, Part 1: I play Wife

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_I don't own Shugo Chara!~ Too bad.  
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_Dedication: Mashiro Rima and Pocky-chan~ Happy Birthday, to both of you! :D_

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He scrutinized the petite girl closely as she stared out the window, obviously bored. She was tapping her fingers against her desk. At one point, she literally turned towards the desk beside her, but faltered when she saw that it was empty. She huffed to herself and went back to looking out the window, a slight crease between her eyebrows.

Nikaidou couldn't help but be surprised; after all, all they did was _argue_ and somewhat disrupt their class. Admittedly, nobody but _him_ notices, but still… They disrupted _him_ from teaching. It was pleasing to know that the project was progressing nicely. Heck, he was surprised it was even _progressing_.

A Cheshire-cat like smile curled onto his face. Then he twirled around in his chair, a look of horror on his face.

"I really need to stop talking to Ikuto-kun…"

**Rima's POV**

I continued looking out the window. Quite sadly, this was my only source of entertainment since Girly-Boy wasn't here. Not that I liked him when he _was _here, but… Nevermind.

It was definitely weird that he wasn't here. It just felt different, what with the lack of annoying, smart-alecky comments and lack of just _him._ Science was even duller than usual without him here. Heck, at least he didn't _stare_ at me (which is what several boys are currently doing shamelessly). We were supposed to be doing a science worksheet (Nikaidou-sensei has been handing these out a lot lately; he's been very lazy), but truthfully, nobody was _actually_ doing it. Nikaidou-sensei was musing to himself very creepily in his corner. Kusukusu wasn't here to amuse me either. I think she ditched me again.

School had dragged by even slower than usual without him here. After all, we sat next to each other in _every single class. _Aren't I just the luckiest girl ever?

"Does anybody _know_ where Fujisaki-san is?" Nikaidou-sensei suddenly asked the class as he started looking through his attendance sheet. Why he didn't do this during homeroom, I'll never know.

"He's sick," I said quietly from my seat in the back. Nikaidou-sensei raised an eyebrow questioningly, but proceeded to scribble something down.

"And how do you know that, Rima?" Amu asked, crossing her legs and arms, giving me a grin. All of the fanboys and fangirls in the classroom stiffened considerably and turned towards me expectantly. I mentally cringed; thanks Amu.

It was silent as everybody watched me. I stared back evenly, my eyes narrowed and hard. Let the bell ring. Let it ring. _Let it ring._

I was practically begging for any thing that valued my life and sanity to make our school bell ring. Obviously, nobody _did_ value it, and so I was forced to answer. "I stopped by this morning to get my…" I stopped talking; already knowing everybody was going to disregard the last part. The only thing that mattered was that I stopped by his house and he was sick.

Kill me.

I recognized the shrill tones of the bell, and I almost wanted to scream. Of course, it rings _after_ I tell them what happens. Fate hates me.

I decided I should just wait until everybody leaves the classroom before walking to the Royal Garden. There was no point in walking with Amu and Tadase; I didn't want to gag while I watch them make lovey-dovey faces at each other. After awhile, it was quiet while I packed my things. How abnormal. I think it's almost ridiculous how I'm waiting for some annoying voice (usually/always the cross-dresser's) to pop in.

When I finally finished, I settled into my seat for a second. I looked out at the clear skies, completely unlike the day before. The day before… I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I messed with a lock of my hair. I should probably leave now…

"Mashiro-san?" I almost jumped at the suddenness of the voice. I got out of my seat and I turned on my heel to face cerulean eyes, and I took a giant step back. I studied her face for a moment; she looked familiar…

"K… Kitazawa-san?" I asked uncertainly, although my voice dripped with boredom. She seemed to be nervous as she tugged on her long caramel-colored braid. One hand held something behind her back.

She managed to stutter out, "Is… Is Fujisaki-kun here?" I arched an eyebrow slightly. Why would she come to me to ask if Nagihiko was here? "S-since you two are always together, I thought…"

What? We're not… Oh… I wanted to groan. Gross, we were always together. That's great.

I restrained myself from calling Nagihiko 'cross-dresser' and told her, "Nagihiko's sick today."

"Oh…" she looked disappointed and relieved, all at the same time. "Okay, thank you for your time!" She sprinted away. She's lucky she can sprint; it is an ability I lack. As is athletics in general, but you get my point.

"Alright…" I got my bag and watched as Kusukusu raced in.

"Rima, hurry up! The meeting's going to start without you."

"… And?"

"Rima!"

"I know, I know. I'm coming," I grumbled as I followed my rushing chara out the door. We walked towards the dome-glassed building, and I tried to ignore my many fanboys swinging from the trees, taking secretive pictures.

I entered, hearing loud (and obnoxious, but I'm guessing that's Yaya) giggles. I walked up to the table to see Yaya and Amu crowded around something, while Tadase smiled at them along with some other kid…

"Why's the loser Jack here?" I asked as I settled down into my seat, sipping my tea. At least it's not Japanese tea this time.

Kukai frowned at the 'loser Jack' term, but he just gave up, and his frown turned into a maniacal grin. "I was here to check on Fujisaki, to make sure he was doing his job…"

"Eh? But Kukai, whenever you visit Yaya always tells you that Nagi does a better job than you! He's focused, doesn't procrastinate, and he's a really great strategist!"

"Shush Yaya," he scolded, covering the tinier girl's mouth with his hand. Yaya squirmed, her voice muffled behind Kukai's hand.

"Anyways, Fujisaki's not here, so I thought I'd fill in. But then…"

"We have a change in plans," Amu cut in smoothly. Even Tadase's eyes had an evil glint to it. What have they done to him? They've corrupted the only innocent being still remaining in this world.

"You see, Yaya has something interesting," Yaya sang, once she managed to pry Kukai's hand off of her mouth.

"Really now?" I said calmly. "What is this oh-so interesting thing?"

"This!" Yaya cried out, thrusting something forward. I didn't even flinch as I came face-to-face with her pink cell-phone, covered with sparkly stickers and other Yaya-like things.

"Yaya, could you kindly move your cell-phone out of my face? It's blocking my view," I said pushing her arm away. "What about your cell-phone?"

"It's not about the cell-phone; it's what's _in_ it."

"… Yaya, isn't that the same thing?"

"No, Amu-chii, it's not!"

"I got it too," Kukai commented, swinging his cell-phone. Tadase and Amu brought theirs out respectively.

"Obviously, I'm out of the loop on what you guys received,' I said, feeling slightly annoyed with how they were dragging this out. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Of course," Amu and Yaya chorused. After a few minutes of them arguing on which phone they'd use, they ended up using Amu's. They messed around with it for a bit until they looked back up with psychotic gleams in their eyes. How creepy.

Yaya re-shoved another cell-phone in my face. My eyes widened slightly. Where had they gotten a picture of…

"Kusukusu…" I said threateningly as I turned around to face my guilty chara. She cringed away, laughing nervously and hid behind Ran and Miki, who looked thoroughly amused.

"Rhythm and Temari said that we should do it!" she yelled in her defense. Like I cared who _suggested_ it; who the heck _took_ it?

"So, why _were_ you and Nagi holding hands yesterday, Rima?" Yaya asked as she smiled conspiratorially with Kukai.

"I'm personally shocked Fujisaki even made a move," Kukai scoffed. "He's so slow."

I swallowed down the urge to strangle all of them and instead leaned back into my chair calmly. "This coming from you? Right."

"I'm not slow!" he said defensively.

"Seriously, how long _did _it take for him to make a move, Rima?" Amu interrupted our conversation. Rather rudely, I think.

"He—"

"Yaya bets it was super romantic, with them confessing underneath the rain!" Yaya squealed. Amu's eyes started shining.

"He…"

"I know! And then they kissed, and he protected her from the rain as he walked her home…"

"_He…_"

"And then Mashiro's dad had a freak attack, but Fujisaki bravely defended her and stoof up for their passionate love. The end!" Kukai cheered while Tadase chuckled lightly. I threw up my hands in exasperation.

"_No moves were made,_" I said, enunciating each word. "No confessions, mostly since there's nothing _to_ confess, and there was _zero_ kissing. None. _At all._"

I tugged on a lock of my hair as they digested this. Then, Kukai, being the loser Jack that he most certainly is, piped up. "Does that mean he protected you from the rain?"

Kill me. Just kill me now.

I decided to just torment them. I smiled innocently. "I dunno. Why don't you tell me once you find out?" I hopped out of my seat and brushed myself off. "If that's it, then I'm leaving. And don't even try to stop me unless you want me to sic my fanboys on you," I said threateningly. Most of them gulped. Except Tadase, since he has enough fan_girls_ to defend from my fan_boys._ It might explain why he tried to stop me though.

"Ah, but Mashiro-san, we haven't even discussed the Easter problem and—" I slammed the door shut behind me. Oops. Looks like I'll be missing out on a lot. Pft. I watched Kusukusu struggle with the door until I reopened it, and she flew out again.

I started setting off towards home, hoping to avoid any teachers that'll tell me off for trying to walk home alone. But, guess what? Fate likes to screw around with me, and somebody just so happened to pass by.

And of course, it just _has_ to be Nikaidou-sensei.

"Mashiro-san!" he called out in that voice that occasionally (always) makes me want to gag. He was panting by the time he caught up to me. Ha, and I thought _I _was bad at physical activity. Somebody needs to get into shape.

"Mashiro-san," he repeated, as if I didn't hear it the first time. He searched around his bag-thing until he finally pulled out a yellow folder. "Can you drop this off at Fujisaki-san's house and help him with the lessons? Thanks! I have to go, I have an appointment."

Then he straight-out _sprinted _away. Nevermind, he's in shape. Screw my teacher.

"Wait… The one day I can actually _avoid_ the cross-dresser, I _still_ have to visit him?" I almost wanted to scream to the skies. I walked over to his house angrily, stomping slightly. Kusukusu was giggling. "It's not funny," I complained to my chara.

"Aw, Rima, I know you care about Nagi though!" Kusukusu sang. Stupid. Rhythm. Influence.

"I do _not_. He could disappear for all I care," I immediately shot back as I kept marching towards his stupid mansion. In truth, it didn't take long until I was before the massive building he prefers to call a 'house'.

I rang the doorbell tentatively. It was opened quietly by Baaya-san after a little while, and she didn't even look surprised to see it was me (what the heck?).

She quietly let me in and I slipped off my shoes as she handed me slippers. "I have work for Nagihiko," I whispered to her. She nodded and gestured over to the couch.

"If it's alright, could you wait a little while? He's sleeping presently, so if you could just read a bit," she asked me kindly. How the heck could I refuse? I sat down on their couch comfortably and looked at the table that was covered with old newspapers and magazines.

_Dancers' Digest. How to be the Next Heir. _These titles suck.

I plowed through a couple more magazines until I came upon a thick, dusty book. I gently blew off the dust and squinted at the cover. It said… Eh. I'm not sure; it was too dusty.

I started flipping through the pictures. They were from years ago, and even more surprising, _Nagihiko_, not Nadeshiko, was the one in these pictures. "Huh. He was pretty cute as a kid. Unlike now," I snorted under my breath. Kusukusu laughed loudly and tumbled about in the air.

I continued looking at them, not generally paying any particular attention. That is, I _wasn't_ (mostly since if I did, I would sound very much like a stalker) until I saw brown hair. I stared at the page and set it down on the table. I then began frantically looking for the picture, muttering a few curse words under my breath.

"Rima, don't say bad words!" I ignored her.

I finally found it and I matched it next to the other pictures. And there were a _ton_ of pictures with this girl. There were a few words next to it, but in all honesty, it was hard to make it out.

I squinted my eyes and carefully read aloud. "Ak… a… ne?" Kusukusu nodded.

"I think that's what it says too."

I kept looking and saw several pictures of Nagihiko and her together, posing, whether it be formally or just silly faces. I felt my stomach churn unpleasantly, but I dismissed it as something that would fade away later. I finally stumbled upon an empty photo space. I bit my lip; I'm willing to bet that my picture would fit there. I heard somebody shuffling inside and I turned to see Baaya-san.

"Mashiro-san, you can go see Nagihiko-san…" she trailed off as she looked at the album. Her eyes softened, but obvious sadness appeared there too. "Oh."

"Who's she?" I inquired after a bit of silence. Even Kusukusu had stopped laughing to watch.

"She… was a friend of Nagihiko-san," she said, hesitating as she fiddled her thumbs. _Was?_

"Um… Mashiro-san, I would appreciate it highly if you do not mention her around Nagihiko-san."

"… But…" Why? That's what I wanted to know. But I could tell she was uncomfortable, and maybe, on the verge of tears. I didn't want her to break down _crying_.

"… Alright. I'll go see Nagihiko now," I whispered softly. I got off the couch and started wandering the halls. I think I saw her sit down on the couch, grazing her hand over a picture sadly. I stared at the picture I had, and wondered if I should have put it back. I tried to clear my thoughts and instead focused on getting to Nagihiko's room. Have I mentioned I have a horrible sense of direction? Me, alone, navigating this mansion, might not be the best idea. Luckily for me, Kusukusu seemed to know the exact way.

I find that slightly disturbing, if you didn't know.

I knocked on the door and heard somebody croak, "Enter." I opened the door and found a huge lump underneath the blankets.

"Nagihiko. What the heck are you _doing_?" I asked as I threw the covers off. I show little sympathy, even if a person _is_ sick. I heard him coughing as he squinted from the sudden light flooding in.

"… Pretty," he mumbled as he reached forward. I leapt back, trying not to flush.

"He's been doing that all day." I whirled, only to find Temari and Rhythm playing tic-tac-toe on a piece of paper. "Describing things when they come into view."

"So… that means Nagi thinks Rima's pretty?" Kusukusu asked, tilting her head, obviously confused.

"Kusukusu," I protested, covering her mouth. "What is he, half delirious?"

"Pretty much," Rhythm said as he frowned in sadness as he lost against Temari, whose eyes gleamed. "He's been waking up off and on the whole day. He's pretty sick though. Sucks to be him."

"I told him if he'd get sick," I said scornfully, but I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Only a little, but that's because if he's sick we can't work on the project. I set Nikaidou-sensei's folder down on the desk and put my hand on Nagihiko's forehead.

Practically immediately, I drew my hand back. He was burning up. I leaned in closer and realized he was panting heavily. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me, rubbing his eyes.

"Rima… chan…?" He sat up, but then fell back against the back of his bed and closed his eyes, as if waiting for something to pass. He offered a weak smile. "Sorry you have to see me like this."

"I only came to drop off your schoolwork," I informed him, just in case he thought I came because I was worried. He nodded in understanding, but then started coughing raucously.

I heard somebody knock again and the door swished open. "Nagihiko-san, I'm sorry to bother you and Mashiro-san, but I was wondering…"

"You guys have to go somewhere right? Don't worry; I can take care of myself."

"You're sick," she pointed out. She turned towards me and asked pleadingly, "I know this is sudden, but do you mind staying with Nagihiko-san?"

Shoot; they've already done a lot for me, so I _should_ help them. That'd be the _right_ thing. I was tempted to rub my temples, but I decided not to, since that would show irritation. In the background, I could hear Nagihiko saying that I probably had stuff to do and whatever.

"It's okay; I'll do it," I said, forcing a smile. Nagihiko abruptly stopped talking as he stared at me incredulously. Then he sneezed and shook his head for a second. "Get your head back down on that pillow before it gets worse," I barked at him. He obeyed right away.

Baaya-san, who seemed relieved (a small twinkle appeared when he actually followed what I said), kept thanking me as she left the room. I just kept nodding and smiling, hoping she would just _leave_ already.

I closed the door and walked back over to Nagihiko, who was staring at the ceiling like the boring person he is. He looked back at me as I crouched down beside his bed. "I'm surprised you said you'd do it."

"It's because I owe you," I responded nonchalantly.

"Y'know…" I recognized the tone of his voice as he leaned closer. "You'll have to do everything for me."

"And why is that?" I asked sardonically.

"Because I'm weak," he whispered, resting his head on his hand. "Basically, you'll have to play wife."

I think I might've turned crimson at that comment. I was tempted to slap him, but the truth is, he _is_ sick. Instead, I decided I should beat up the cause of it all: Rhythm. I had already spotted the bright blue headphones around Nagihiko's neck. But, then I realized Temari had done it for me.

"Stupid! Nagihiko's already weak from being sick; don't do unnecessary chara-changes!" she screamed at him. He cowered in a corner after that. Nagihiko was back to resting on the pillow, breathing hard (much to my satisfaction, the headphones were gone). He raised his hand as if to stop me from coming closer.

"Sorry… I'm kind of dizzy. What'd I just say?"

I gave him a withering glare. There are times where I wish he actually_ hears_ the crap he spews when he's chara-changed with Rhythm. "Nothing, Nagihiko. Absolutely freakin' _nothing._"

He looked confused as I continued glaring death at him. Suddenly, he had a coughing spasm, which threw me off a bit, so I knelt beside him until it passed. "… Rima-chan, are you worried… about _me_?"

"No, you dimwit, I'm worried about Kusukusu because she's about to die because you're so ugly," I shot back sarcastically. "Yeah, maybe I _am_ worried about you."

"… You think I'm ugly? Aw, that's not nice. I think I look, at least, _semi-okay._"

"Don't be such a narcissist," I scoffed. He smiled softly.

"You know, I was really bored in here. I almost missed your twisted sense of humor and witty comebacks. Well, semi-witty."

Wait, did he just _diss _my comebacks? I'm going to kill hi- Wait. He's sick. Crap. "I'm going to ignore that so I don't murder you."

I heard his stomach rumble, and he flinched. "Err… did you hear that?" No, Nagihiko, I _didn't_ just hear your loudly growling stomach even though it was completely silent in the room at the time.

There are times when I wonder how he can be so stupidly smart. "Anyways, I _did_ hear that. Retard."

"Oh, sure, make fun of the sick," he said unhappily. I stood up and brushed myself off. "Where are you going?"

"To make you food," I growled. I was offended by the look of pure horror on his face. "What?"

"… No offense, Rima-chan, but I don't want to _die_ after I eat my food. In fact, I don't want to _die_ when the oven spontaneously combusts. In fact, I don't want to _die_—"

"I get it Nagihiko! You don't want to die!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air. "I won't kill you with my food anyways," I flared.

"… You're really snappy today."

"Whatever, Girly-Boy. Kusukusu, Temari, can you come help me? Rhythm, you stay here and make sure he doesn't move his sorry butt."

I marched out and relied on Temari to guide me to the kitchen. Oh, of _course_ it has to be insanely huge just like the rest of his insanely huge house. _Of course._

"What should we make?" I suddenly asked. I have _no_ idea what to make for a sick person. Or really, people in general.

"Why don't make something simple? Like onigiri," Temari suggested cautiously.

"Alright," I said, deciding not to blurt out that I could tell she was scared I was going to stab something with a knife. Pft, she's the chara that makes her bearer flip out and attack things with a naginata.

I started forming the rice balls carefully (I may have been partially ashamed by the fact that theirs looked better, even though they were smaller than me) until we were half-way done. Then I heard heavy foot-steps and looked up to see a weary Nagihiko and a nervous Rhythm.

"Um. He got up."

"Way to point out the obvious. Why're you out of bed?" I asked as he collapsed onto the couch.

"…"

"You wanted to make sure I didn't burn anything, didn't you?" I asked through clenched teeth. I really feel believed in, presently.

"Uh… no?"

"Just shut up and sit on the couch Nagihiko, before I change my mind on killing you while you're in a weakened state," I threatened. I continued making the rice balls precariously until I finished.

"Done," I said after awhile, looking relieved. I hate exerting energy, even in little amounts.

I walked over to Nagihiko, who was looking at a magazine while lying down on the couch. I felt his forehead; he was still hot. And no, not in that way. His face was flushed red from the fever as he sniffled.

"Food," I stated, shoving the plate in his face. He took one, and an awkward silence ensued. Even the charas were silent, and that's saying something.

"You said I was pretty earlier," I blurted out. I didn't know why I said that, but I wouldn't be lying if I said I was curious as to why he described me as pretty. Besides, the quiet was starting to get annoying and oppressive.

"… This tastes good," he said, gesturing at the onigiri.

"Don't change the subject."

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Nagihiko."

"Fine," he moaned. "I don't know what I meant. I just said what I said; I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time."

Well, it makes sense. What _doesn't_ is the feeling of disappointment that crawled through me. "Oh… Well, that's plausible. I mean, you thinking that I'm pretty… Like you'd think that," I finally said.

"You don't think I'd say you're pretty?" he asked, confused. He paused for another coughing fit, and he sighed as he tried to let the feeling of nausea pass. "Why?"

"We're not exactly 'buddies', Nagihiko." Obviously. We were really only… 'friends'.

"That doesn't mean you're not pretty. I think you're pretty." That was so insanely blunt and straight-forward, that I'm not sure if he meant to be that way or…

The charas were dead silent. Rhythm did, however, flash Nagihiko a thumbs up. Stupid, flirty, play-boy chara. I examined Nagihiko, who was lucky enough to already _be_ red so that I couldn't tell if he was blushing or not.

I, on the other hand, having perfect self-control (usually), wasn't blushing. But it was coming. Instead, I decided to show off my stupidity another way: stammering.

"I-idiot, d-don't say stuff like that…" Now I sound like that Kitazawa chick.

"Hmm, is somebody _stuttering_?" Rhythm asked tauntingly from where he floated above me. I glowered at him.

"It's hot…" Nagihiko mumbled, probably trying not to say it too loudly. He had taken off the blanket and was pretty much lying down with his eyes closed, as if trying to sleep but not succeeding.

"Really? I don't think it's hot…" Kusukusu said.

"Nagihiko's sick, Kusukusu-san, so he'll most likely feel differently from me and you," Temari instantly replied.

"Err, do you need anything?" I asked worriedly. Okay, so maybe I _don't_ know how to take care of a sick person. There's a slight chance Nagihiko may end up in the ER.

"Um, my shirt's kind of drenched in sweat. Can I… take it off?" he asked. Except, this time (much to my horror), he wasn't kidding, and it wasn't meant to be a 'move' from Rhythm. He was uncomfortable about asking about this.

I quickly made up an excuse. "… No, because… you can't take off your shirt when you're sick. You'll just get worse!" I whisper-shrieked. Nagihiko finally opened his eyes again and pouted.

"I'm just trying to save you from extra work." I eyed him for a second.

"What do you mean?"

"… All of my shirts are in the laundry, so you'll have to wash them _and_ dry them. And… no offense… but I don't think… you'd be good at washing clothes."

"Go die, Nagihiko. Maybe _then_ all of my problems will be solved," I said grumpily as I stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked, concerned. _I _should be the one saying that; he's sick. Stupid Nagihiko for making me feel so stupidly guilty and… weird. Stupid, stupid, _stupid._

"I'm going to find a shirt," I replied stiffly, tugging Temari and Kusukusu along with me.

"So, where can I find the laundry room?" I asked. Temari looked me over and shook her head instantly.

"… Mashiro-san, don't you think it'd be better to… just… You can use Nagihiko's father's clothes instead!" she said, grasping at suggestions desperately. Obviously, they don't want me to go anywhere near the laundry room for fear that when Baaya-san and his mother come back, it'll be covered in suds and smell like lavender.

"Fine," I said, waving her onwards. There's no point in worrying Nagihiko more and worsening his fever.

She guided me towards this white set of drawers and I opened one, but immediately slammed it shut. Boxers. Okaaay, too much information.

I quickly opened another and proceeded to slam that shut as well. Briefs too? What's wrong with this guy?

"Please let this be a shirt drawer," I prayed. Temari giggled. I opened the third drawer, and to my immense relief, they were shirts. I grabbed a yellow one (what? It looked clean!) and then ran back to Nagihiko.

"Here. A shirt," I said as I tossed it to him. It landed on the lamp next to him and it almost toppled until Nagihiko held onto it. Even when he's sick, he's still pretty coordinated. What a freak.

I was almost surprised that Nagihiko didn't say anything about my limited throwing skills. It may just prove how sick he is. Then I realized he was staring at me. "What?"

"… Do you _want_ to watch me change? Because I thought that was what we were trying to avoid…" I instantly turned around, covering my eyes while he started laughing hoarsely.

"Shut up and change!"

"Fine, fine. Is there a reason why it's yellow though?" he asked. I could practically _feel_ him smiling that smug grin at me. There are times I want to pummel him and stuff him up a chimney.

"Are you _done?_" I said harshly as I turned. He had just slipped on the shirt right before, but he raised an eyebrow as he yawned.

"Yeah."

"Why are you acting so… out of character?" I wondered testily. He didn't respond, and when I walked up to him, he was passed out. I looked worriedly at him (he couldn't see me, so whatever) and then glanced at the plate. There were five missing… I ate two, Kusukusu and Temari shared one, Rhythm practically inhaled his, and… Nagihiko only ate one?

Isn't it bad if they don't have an appetite? "Temari, can you get the thermometer?" I asked, starting to panic, if only slightly. Temari nodded seriously and flew off, and both Rhythm and Kusukusu perched on my shoulders.

"I think he might've over exerted himself since you got here. He got up too much and talked too much…" Rhythm said, looking honestly concerned. I know he's not exactly _meaning_ to, but that implies that it's _my_ fault he looks so… exhausted. I'm supposed to be taking _care_ of him, not making him _sicker_.

"Mashiro-san," Temari said, throwing the thermometer. Rhythm caught it (obviously, Temari doesn't doubt my athletic skills. She really should though) and handed it to me.

"… So…" Rhythm and Temari stared at me incredulously.

"You've never used a thermometer?" she shrieked. I shook my head. Let's face it; I make some kind of crappy wife.

"Err… I've never paid attention to those kinds of things. They didn't seem important."

"Just insert it in his mouth," Rhythm instructed. I'm surprised _he_ knows what to do.

"Then open his mouth and I'll do it," I said as I prepared to stab (oh, wait, _insert_) the thing into his mouth. Before Temari could fly forward, Rhythm stopped her.

"Why can't you do it?" he asked innocently. I glared at him.

"Because, I don't _want_ to touch Girly-Boy's ugly face!"

"That's not very nice. He called you pretty earlier," Rhythm quipped back. I flicked his forehead.

"Fine. I don't want to touch Girly-Boy's _semi-okay looking _face. Happy?"

"No. Now put the thermometer in yourself. Unless you're… scared?"

He did _not_ just say I was _scared _of putting a _stick_ inside of a _mouth_. "Fine," I snapped angrily. "I'll do it."

The thing is, I felt… weird, moving his mouth. I touched his chin gingerly and flinched at how… hot it was. At least, I _think_ that's why I flinched. He shifted in his sleep onto his side. _Stupid idiot_! Why'd he have fall asleep?

"Stupid… cross-dresser…" I tried to pry open his mouth with my fingers as gently as possible (I didn't want him to wake up and find me in this… position), but then his eyes shot open at my touch. He stared at me.

I cringed internally. Our position was definitely… _strange._ I was leaned over him, since he was lying down on his side. My hands were right in front of his lips, and, I won't lie, my face wasn't all that far away from his face either (I couldn't see, darn it!).

I heard Rhythm laughing in the background and turned towards him dangerously. "I'm going to _kill_ you," I said through gritted teeth, emphasizing the _kill_. I was seething. Then, out of nowhere, I heard light laughter. On the couch, Nagihiko was clutching his stomach, laughing till he was even redder than before. Too bad it turned into coughs.

He held up a single finger, signaling it'll pass, and I waited. "So… care to explain what you were doing?" he asked, heavily amused.

"I was _trying_ to take care of you," I said huffily. "I had to take your temperature, but you fell asleep, so I had to… do that!"

"You sure you weren't taking advantage of me in my sleep?"

"I swear, if you aren't chara-changed with Rhythm, I'll kill you too, regardless if you're sick or not."

He offered a weak smile. "Thanks though. I'm feeling better."

"Liar."

He looked startled while I narrowed my eyes. "How'd… you know?"

"You're obviously still weak, and having coughing and sneezing fits. I think you're dizzy, but you won't admit it because you're stubborn. It might explain why you're comebacks are so lame, and it might also explain why you're out of character; you can't gather your thought properly and you're just saying what comes to mind, so you're Rhythm side's starting to come out because that's your impulsive side," I ended logically.

All I got back were blank stares and shocked stares. "I'm impressed, Rima-chan."

"What are you implying, Girly-Boy?"

"Nothing, Demon Chibi. Absolutely nothing," he said, shaking his head with a tired and sick, but still happy, smile. Once again, _what a cross-dressing idiot. _And I have to spend the next couple of hours tending to his every whim.

Somebody shoot me; I think I might just die in this house.

* * *

_... This is perhaps the worst chapter I've ever written for this story. Yeah. I'm sorry... I was really aiming to post it today, because..._

_IT'S RIMA'S BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday Rima-tan! _

_Oh, and... IT'S POCKY-CHAN'S BIRTHDAY TOO! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TOO! YOU'RE AWESOME~ XD As a birthday present, they get an unlimited supply of (virtual) pocky. Because I'm lame that way with presents. :P Lol, and I really couldn't think of a one-shot, so I just thought I'd update this story as a (sucky) present. Ahaha, I stink.  
_

_Anyways, continuing on... Yes. This is a horrible chapter. Er, I'll try to be better...? (Ahem, crappy effort.) Oh, and _another_ thing, lately, people are thinking I'm discontinuing this fic? I'm not... Obviously, since I'm updating. Yeah. So... No worries, 'kay? ;)_

_Anonymous/non-PM-able reviewers:_

_Yannami: Haha, yeah, just a bit. :) My progress is super slow. And oh-yes, they definitely LURVE each other with a burning passion. XD Ahaha, OMG, same here! Volleyball isn't my... 'favorite' sport. Lol, thanks for the compliment. :3_

_Uh-huh. So yeah, I think that's about it. Thanks for all the support, by the way! You guys are so incredibly awesome... I don't deserve you in any way. ._._

_Hmm... So, to end this horrible author's note, I'll say that this is only part one, blahblahblah, etc, etc, etc, and finally end it with:_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIMA AND POCKY-CHAN! :) Hope you have an awesome day~ (Actually, hope EVERYONE has an awesome day. And other blah because I suck at saying stuff to you guys.)  
_

_THE END. ;D  
_

_-Bluey-san_

_PS: I have a poll up on my profile, so check it out if you'd like~_

_PPS: Okay, I accidentally posted 'Stealing for Keeps' instead of this chapter. Sorry. ^^' Thanks Haruka Sumairu! :D  
_


	12. Day 9, Part 2: Stuck

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_~Sparks will Fly~_

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_Shugo Chara! remains owned by Peach-Pit, not me.  
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"-ima-chan? Rima-chan? Hello, anybody there?" My head snapped up from the sound of a hoarse voice.

"I thought you had forgotten about me," he teased lightly. I did anything _but_ that. I was actually mentally screaming about how I had to stay in his house until his mom comes home.

"I wish," I grumbled. I held up the thermometer again. "Now put the stick inside of your stupid mouth before I shove it down your throat."

"I'm fine," he insisted. He closed the thermometer and put it on the table. "It's just the basic symptoms of the flu or a cold. And by the way, girls shouldn't be so violent. They look less pretty when they're that way," he finished with a wink.

"Did you know you're ten times more annoying when you're sick?"

"Thanks, Rima-chan," he replied, leaning back down onto the couch. We were quiet for minute as I tried to reflect on past TV shows of sick people. (It wasn't helping much.)

Nagihiko coughed forcefully, and I could see his body shaking. His breath was rattling as he flopped back onto the couch. His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes, a look of peace overcoming him.

"… Shouldn't he sleep on the bed?" I asked. Temari nodded.

"He might fall off the couch!"

"… That'd be pretty funny, actually," Rhythm said to himself. His reply was a pink fan slapping him in the face. "Ow! What'd I do?"

Kusukusu floated over to me. "Why don't you carry him over there?"

I looked at him, then at the door, then back at him. "I'm sure he'll be fine," I said, waving it off. Then he started coughing _again, _as if to remind me he was extremely _sick._

"Fine, fine," I grumbled. "How am I supposed to do this? He might wake up."

"Nagihiko is knocked cold. He's only sub-conscious, so I don't think he'd really care right now," Rhythm said doubtfully.

I nodded, a bit annoyed. Tentatively, I poked him. I heard them all snort behind me. "Shut up; I don't take care of people, okay?" I hissed.

I slung his arm around my neck and put my hands around his waist. I could feel his warm breath against my face and felt my face turn red. He was too close. _Too close_, and I was soon regretting having this idea in the first place.

"You're not going to help, are you?" I mumbled as I started to drag him towards his room. His hands slipped lower, and I gritted my teeth. This was a bit humiliating.

"Nope."

"Sorry, but I think you'll be fine."

Kusukusu just giggled.

I furrowed my eyebrows and considered killing them. I shook my head. First, I'll deposit Nagihiko on his bed, _then_ I'll kill them.

I kicked the door open and finally managed to get him on the bed. He looked a bit awkward and uncomfortable in his position. "Why are you still so sweaty?" I asked him, even though I knew he couldn't reply. I was about to move him, until…

"Dunno," he said, his voice muffled by the pillow. I stared at him for a few seconds, my mouth agape. (At least his face was buried in his pillow.)

"… You're awake?" I asked dangerously, and I was tempted to kick him, regardless of him being sick or not.

"Uh," was his eloquent reply. Rhythm came in.

"I told you he was sub-conscious, right? Maybe he heard you for a minute and accidentally replied. There's no way he's fully awake. Nagihiko sleeps like the dead. Besides, Nagihiko talks in his sleep—"

Temari managed to whack him upside the head, but she was too late. "What?" I asked curiously. "He does that a lot?"

They exchanged a nervous look. "Well, not really. It's very disconnected, so it doesn't really matter," Temari said hastily.

"He talked in his sleep at my house too," I commented, looking him over critically. Nagihiko never came off to me as 'psychologically disturbed'.

"What'd he say?" Rhythm asked eagerly, coming towards me. I gave him a weird look.

"All he said was sorry, so I don't see…"

"… Oh," Temari sighed. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. Let us go and do something else and allow Nagihiko to rest."

"Er, yeah, sure," I said quietly. "I'll be there in a second." I sat down beside his bed and watched the two leave. I'm sure Kusukusu was just outside the door.

"Y'know, Nagihiko," I told him, "I really don't know too much about you. That's not very fair, is it? Making me play 'Truth or Dare' and finding out secrets, where I didn't get to do anything. You're a cheater," I snapped at him, crossing my arms defiantly.

I took a deep breath. "I really don't know what's bothering you. Lately, you've been really weird. But you've been beating yourself up, since it's obvious your charas are worried and you're talking in your sleep."

I looked at him, faintly amused. "If you keep doing that, you'll never get better. Emotionally speaking, I guess. Trust me, I've been there, done that," I said, a wry look on my face.

"So, basically speaking," I said, about to end this one-sided conversation, "why don't you stop wallowing in your own self-pity and talk to somebody?"

I stood up. "Well, not like you heard me, I suppose. I just wanted to get that out there, since I know the charas are right outside the door, eavesdropping." I walked towards the door and threw it open, giving all three a pointed glare.

"… I'm disappointed. I seriously thought you'd confess or something," Rhythm complained. I noticed that Rhythm's and Temari's faces were both a bit… strange, and both stared at me with a sort of reverence. Even so, I pretended not to notice.

"Confess what, my hate for him? He already knows that," I said haughtily as I marched away.

"Denial," Rhythm coughed loudly.

"I am _not_," I said firmly. "We're just… friends," I said, letting the word float in the air. I wrinkled my nose with distaste. "… Let me correct that. We're _acquaintances." _

Temari hummed innocently. "Really? Because what you guys were doing in that classroom when it was raining was not done by acquaintances," she said as innocently as possible. I fumed, but decided I should just ignore them and walk away.

I walked over to my school bag and shuffled through the papers, searching for my history and math homework. I gave up and ended up just dumping everything on the once clean floor. I'd clean it up later.

"Aren't you organized?" Rhythm said sarcastically, gesturing at the crumpled sheets of paper now littering the floor. I scowled at him. Kusukusu giggled happily.

"Rima _never _cleans her bookbag until the end of the year."

"Kusukusu!" I protested, and only gained a laugh in reply. I ended up shaking my head; she was a lost cause.

"Stupid… history… Huh, here it is," I said a bit triumphantly, smoothing out the wrinkled paper.

"What about math?" Temari asked. I felt the corners of my mouth pull downwards.

"Er… I'll do that later," I said dismissively as I started to search for my pencil. "Crap, where is it?"

"You lost your pencil?" Rhythm asked, a bit incredulously. "I thought girls were supposed to be really neat and all… like Temari, or something?"

"That's stereotypical," I retorted as I stood up and walked towards Nagihiko's room. It opened with a slight creak, making me wince.

"What are you doing?" Kusukusu whispered into my ear.

"I need a pencil," I replied, stepping inside the room lightly. "He'll probably have something in here."

I heard a much louder moan come from behind me, and both Kusukusu and I whirled around. Rhythm rolled his shoulders. "Like I said, Nagihiko sleeps like the dead," Rhythm said simply. "Why don't you just work in here?"

Temari came in too, holding my papers and dropping them on the desk. She patted the desk cheerily, but I could only eye them both suspiciously. "Why do I get the feeling you two are setting me up…?"

"Can we not care for the well-being of Nagihiko's future wife in training?" Rhythm inquired casually, floating by as if he hadn't said something that was more than slightly humiliating.

"I am _not _his wife in training," I whispered harshly. "I just… have to… take care of him!"

And then, dutifully, I walked towards the desk, and I was prepared to be completely focused on my homework. I sat down on the chair, took out a ponytail holder and tied my long curls up.

"History… Er." I tapped my pencil against the desk, feeling a bit screwed, since I didn't know any of the stuff on the paper. Instead, I surveyed his room again, and eventually eyed the computer evilly.

It was charging in the corner of the room; I got up and walked over, gingerly picked it up, and carried it back over. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Nagihiko's still slumbering form. I nodded to myself; it should be fine.

"Hey, what are you doing with that…?" Rhythm asked warningly.

"Anything other than homework," I shot back, opening the laptop and switching it on.

"To play Pacman?" Rhythm asked, and Temari and Kusukusu cracked up.

"Oh, the memories," I said sardonically, flicking his face forcefully. He grunted as he flew backwards, and both Temari and Kusukusu backed away.

"Abuse!" Rhythm shouted, pointing at me. Temari immediately shushed him, clapping her hand over his mouth. He waved her off.

"He won't wake up," he insisted. "Trust me, I've _tried._ It's even worse now… since he's sick," he added quickly.

I looked up from the chair, where I was waiting impatiently for his laptop to turn _on_, and raised an eyebrow expectantly. "What do you mean 'now'?"

"Well, Nagihiko has a lot of dance practices because… traditional dancing is _very _popular around this time of year," Temari supplied.

"You're lying," I said, turning away from them to try and attempt to crack his password. I could tell they were exchanging nervous glances behind me. "Not that I care, or anything," I said, sighing a bit. "Nagihiko's always seemed a bit off to me anyways; he never says much about himself."

"What do you mean?" Kusukusu asked quietly. I could tell she was worried about her friends.

"As in, I wouldn't be surprised that Nagihiko's secretive about his stuff. Cross-dressing as a girl for the majority of his life; that's mentally scarring, and to tell you the truth, it's almost tragically humorous," I said bluntly as I typed 'Nagihiko' into the blinking box.

"Besides that, he seems to keep a lot of things personal," I continued, typing in 'Nadeshiko'. "And then he just cares about everybody else, figuring them out," I snapped my fingers, "just like that. It's a bit unfair."

"And why do you say that?" Nagihiko asked softly from his bed. I didn't notice, sadly, which shows just how concentrated I was on _cracking _his potentially gay password. I typed in 'Rhythm' and 'Temari'. Failure each time.

"I mean, it's frustrating. Obviously, other people care about him. _Obviously_, they do. I just don't see why he doesn't tell anybody about his problems. I suppose keeping his 'cross-dressing' thing for years has now become a habit, but… It's really just… weird," I said, a tinge of anger entering my voice.

I stopped talking for a second, thinking. All of a sudden, I smiled, if only a little. "Even worse, he somehow, indirectly or accidentally, knows a couple of my secrets. I know next to nothing about him. He's pretty clever, isn't he?" I snorted to myself.

"A compliment mixed with complaints and insults? Thank you, Rima-chan." I blinked and looked at the bed. He was staring at the ceiling, a sort of distant and resigned expression on his face.

"Nagihiko, you were _awake_?" I demanded. He makes it easy to get pissed off at him. The _one time_ I say relatively good things about him in the company of something _other_ than an imaginary audience in my mind, he hears it.

"It's nice to know you care," he said off-handedly, his eyelids fluttering sleepily. He sounded exhausted, even though he had just been sleeping.

"You were awake?" I repeated the question, crossing my arms.

He nodded. "You were being loud." I narrowed my eyes at Rhythm, who shrunk into the shadows.

"Sleeps like the dead, huh?"

"… Oops?" Rhythm said, as if trying to look cute. (He didn't pull it off.)

"Yeah, 'oops'," I muttered darkly. I took one step forward, and Nagihiko shifted in the bed. I narrowed my eyes and ripped the covers off of him.

"One," I began as calmly as possible, "when, exactly, did you take off your pants," I asked, trying to avoid looking at his boxers as much as possible, "and second, _why_ do you have a _book_ in the bed?"

Nagihiko grabbed his blanket and tugged it back over him while showing me the front cover of the book. "We have a book report, and I'm behind. I thought that I might as well be productive…"

"Nagihiko!" We both froze at the ear-splitting screech.

"Hah. You're screwed," I said, stepping aside, letting Temari fly forward.

"Fujisaki Nagihiko!" she shrieked. "You had better rest before I _make you_," she threatened. "You're already exhausted from getting up, character changing, and even worse, you actually _went _to early morning practice!"

I stopped snickering with Rhythm, who had just slapped his face while trying to signal to Temari to shut up. Nagihiko let loose a heavy breath tiredly. Kusukusu landed on top of Nagihiko's head, patting him gently. He smiled a bit at the tiny clown.

"You actually _went_ to morning practice, even though you were sick?" I asked him through gritted teeth. I sat on his bed next to him and slowly advanced, glaring at him slightly. He squinted at me, but he was slowly inching backwards, but not enough.

"And now you're _reading?"_

"Rima-chan, please calm down…?" he stopped momentarily to cough raucously, but he still watched my cautiously.

I stopped and crossed my arms, sitting directly across from him. I could've sworn he sighed in relief. "Nagihiko, _sweetie,_" I said with a sickly sweet smile, to which he returned with a slightly stunned look, "As your wife, of _course _I'm worried!"

He chuckled nervously.

"Nagihiko, I'm not wildly out of control; that's Yaya. No, there is a _solid_ difference between 'not calm' and 'pissed'."

"What'd I do?" he asked wearily, settling back down onto his pillow.

"Nagihiko, you… Holy crap, Nagihiko, you overdid things. You need to _rest,_ or you'll never get better, and… are you listening to me?" I ended, looking at him as his eyes closed.

"Mhmm…"

"You're a completely overly compulsive liar," I told him as I dropped the covers on top of him, and to be truthful, I was a bit frustrated how he managed to just slide out of things with absolutely zero effort.

"By the way, I'm confiscating this," I added as I pried the book from his hands. I looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"How's he going to write a book report on a photo album?" I asked nobody in particular. The charas, who had been completely silent previously, came over.

"Ah, Mashiro-san!" Temari cried out, "Uh, the computer is about to turn off!"

"It's fine," I said, settling down beside his bedside, observing it carefully. I flipped through a single page, but then I tilted my head, looking backwards at the hovering Rhythm and Temari, who looked like they were about to wake Nagihiko up.

"This is private, isn't it?" I said, taking a guess, holding up the album. They slowly nodded.

"More like, Nagihiko really… treasures it," Temari said carefully. "They hold precious memories."

"… I see," I said, and I didn't say this out loud, but upon taking the small glimpse inside, I had seen Akane again. Although, she had looked slightly different; in the picture, she had seemed very reserved, and almost unhappy.

I'm guessing that Akane is either a girl he likes, or a very good childhood friend. I ignored a distinct feeling of discomfort that pierced my heart and stomach as I slipped the book onto a bookshelf.

"Even though this guy is nosy and gets all into other people's personal things, I'll respect his privacy," I said simply, and I heard both Rhythm and Temari exhale happily.

"That's just Rima saying 'thank you' to Nagihiko, in her own way," Kusukusu said in a hushed tone to them.

"No, it's just me being respectful and showing that _I _had proper upbringing," I said, throwing a look at Kusukusu.

"And Nagihiko didn't?" Temari inquired.

"He had to _cross-dress,_" I said, pointing out the obvious. "Obviously, his upbringing was… disturbing."

I walked back over to the desk, tapping the computer impatiently. "Do you two know his password?" I asked, getting annoyed.

I typed in 'Kukai', since Nagihiko's potentially a homosexual. Then I tried 'Tadase', then 'Kairi', and then 'the cosplaying cat'.

I typed in 'Yaya', then 'Akane' (I felt slightly relieved that it was denied, much to my repulsion), and then, I even tried 'Amu', all to no avail.

"Er, I think it's… 'Mashiro Rima is hot'," Rhythm said easily, after he thought about it for a few minutes.

"Shut it."

"I'm not kidding," Rhythm defended.

Reluctantly, I typed in the password, and nearly groaned out loud when it accepted_. _I swallowed down the heat threatening to take over and ignored the loud laughing from above.

When it finally logged me in, there were so many things open, and all of them included pictures. "What, is Girly-Boy a photography nut?"

"Actually, Nagihiko has to send pictures, videos, et cetera to his relatives and others who would be interested in his talents," Temari explained expertly.

"Then explain… this," I said, gesturing towards a picture of two people holding hands. One had long, curly blonde hair, the other had silky purple hair. "Yes, he's very talented in capturing a girl's heart."

"Crap, you sent that to Nagi?" Rhythm whispered to Temari.

"It was an accident," Temari said defiantly.

"By the way," Rhythm said, obviously trying to divert the conversation, "are you saying he's captured your heart? I mean, since you said he was very talented at it, and…"

I paused as I inspected the picture and eyed the delete button. I was very tempted to just take it off of Girly-Boy's hard-drive. "It was sarcasm."

"Or, your in _denial,_" Rhythm said, putting extra strength on the last word.

I heard somebody sneeze loudly. "You guys are," sneeze, "so loud."

"Rhythm, you liar," Kusukusu pouted, but then she giggled loudly, smacking Rhythm playfully. Rhythm made a face.

I watched Nagihiko as he sat up, taking in his surroundings. He frowned suddenly. "I thought I was on the couch in the living room."

…

"Nagihiko, you've been in this room for awhile," I said, turning back to the much more interesting computer.

"Oh, really?" he said sleepily, dragging the words. "It's really hot…" We all exchanged a look.

I furrowed my eyebrows, walking over to him. "Nagihiko? What's wrong with you?" I snapped my fingers in front of his face, and he looked up at me.

"Rima-chan, why are there three of you…?" he said, slamming his head back against the pillow, but not without banging his head on the bedpost. "Ouch. I'm really… dizzy."

Then he went off into the sea of dreams again, but looking downwards, I realized his once new shirt was now drenched in sweat.

"Somebody, anybody, get me the thermometer," I commanded, and Temari and Kusukusu fluttered off, while Rhythm came closer.

I brushed back his bangs and put my hand on my forehead. I drew back hurriedly. "Why's he so hot?"

"Thanks, Rima-chan," Nagihiko said, his grinning voice sounding forced.

"Nagihiko, don't talk," I growled, standing up again. Temari and Kusukusu threw the thermometer towards me, which I, sadly, didn't catch. I picked it up and stared at it.

"So I just…" I pulled his mouth open and jammed it in there. He hissed in pain, his eyes deglazing for a second.

"Uh, oops," I said, deciding not to mention that I was partially satisfied at his pain.

I stood up, thinking fast. "Uh, a wet cloth, right?" Temari prompted.

I ran for the bathroom, feeling an odd sense of worry rise and fall within me. I took the damp towel and ran back inside, laying it on his forehead.

"He's still out cold," I said as I smoothed his bangs away again. The thermometer beeped loudly, and I ripped it out of his mouth.

"39.5 degrees Celsius… That's high, isn't it?" I said out loud, even though I already knew the answer.

"You should probably change his shirt…" Kusukusu said.

Temari and Rhythm exchanged something of an evil look. "No," I said curtly. "I am _not _taking off his clothes."

"To tell you the truth, this really does benefit us," Temari mused aloud. "We'll go get the clothes!" she said as all three left me.

"I am _not_—"

That's when Nagihiko coughed loudly, each of them forcing their way up and out of his throat. He was shuddering, and his breath was low and raspy, as if his body was taunting me, telling me I was so utterly cruel to just leave him like this.

"You _suck_," I said through gritted teeth. Cautiously, I pulled on the thin yellow shirt and closed my eyes.

"You'll never get anything done if you close your eyes!" I heard Rhythm yell through the door.

"Shut up!" I shouted back, glaring daggers through the door.

"Nagihiko, this is your entire fault," I said as I reclosed my eyes, and tried to tug it over where I _thought_ was his head. I hoped that I was at least a little accurate.

I winced when I heard a dull thud. "Oi, Mashiro-san, don't hurt Nagihiko!" Temari screeched from the other side of the door.

"If you're so _worried, _why don't you help me?" I suggested as I peeked out of one eye. In one quick movement, I flipped the blanket over his bare chest and forcefully pulled the shirt off of his head.

"It'd be indecent!"

"… Eh. I don't care."

Somebody giggled.

"Whatever. Where's the shirt?" I asked through the door, feeling rather stupid. I flipped the towel and was about to get up and dampen it again, but then I heard a few dreaded words.

"Oh… Oh, right." The door opened a crack, and they threw in a purple t-shirt, and then it closed again.

"Now, could you please clothe him, Mashiro-san?"

I literally slammed my head against the wall. "Screw it all." I walked over and threw open the door.

"Fine, _I'll _change his retarded shirt," I said, giving myself up to the very obvious setting up. "You guys just… dampen this cloth or something." I threw it at them and quickly walked back over.

"Right after de-clothing you, I have to put your shirt on?" I muttered as I threw the covers off and focused only on his face. His breathing was slow and steady, but I could hear a harsh tinge to it. Gingerly, I pulled the shirt over his face.

"I wish you could at least stand up. This is such a pain." I pulled one arm through the sleeve, and flinched when I heard the fabric rip. "Oops."

Going to the other side, I pulled the other arm through. "Jeez, Nagihiko, making so many people worry," I said, sarcasm dripping, "you're such an attention hog, aren't you?"

I waited for the charas to return impatiently. "It's strange, you know, how innocent and ordinary you look while sleeping. It's really the exact opposite."

Rhythm suddenly appeared, handing me the towel. "We're getting a bowl of water," he told me, "so I'm going back to help them. _Make sure not to do anything indecent to him!"_ he said, and then immediately shut the door when I attempted to throw a nearby slipper at his face. It hit a lamp instead.

"With a chara like that, it is definitely the exact opposite," I said as I rubbed the cloth over his face. "Am I even doing this right?"

"You cause a lot of trouble sometimes, did you know that? Whether it's this, or it's just _being _there… it's annoying," I said as I placed it firmly onto his head. I sat down beside his bed and exhaled.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled blearily. "Sorry for the trouble, Rima-chan."

I nearly smirked. "No problem, Nagihiko."

He seemed to be in a sleepy haze, but he kept talking. "Rima-chan, I really do cause a lot of trouble, don't I? More than I'm worth," he said, chuckling roughly, mirthlessly.

I agreed, but I just twisted the cloth and reset it back, and was secretly wondering where the charas were. If I was right, they were lingering outside.

"Ne, Rima-chan, I'm really sorry."

I gave him a sidelong glance as I crept towards the door. "For…?"

"Earlier, you told me that I pried into your business, but you know nothing about me… right?" He pushed himself upwards, looking me in the eye.

"You heard that?" I asked calmly, as I threw the door open, revealing three eavesdropping charas with a bowl of water.

"… Hi."

Grim faced, I took the bowl, snatched the towel off of his face, and dipped it inside. I tossed it at his face.

"… Thanks."

"You're welcome," I said sweetly. "Continue the previous train of though, please."

"Well, I'm sorry about that. It's just; I really don't have any secrets… My life's pretty normal," he said, lying back down.

I jostled the bowl and walked over to my homework. "Nagihiko, don't lie to me," I said, giving him a pitying look. "No offense, it doesn't work anymore. If you don't want to tell me your secret, don't. All I'm saying is that you need to tell somebody what's bothering you before it eats you away."

He grinned weakly. "I should have known you'd tell me something like that."

"Yes, well, I'm quite experienced," I said briskly as I started typing on the computer. "I've had my fair share of secrets."

That's when he shot straight up. "Wait a minute, how'd you get on my computer? How'd you figure out the password?"

Rhythm coughed guiltily. "She's secretly a narcissist!" he declared, trying to throw off the suspicious, and failing.

"And you're 'secretly' an idiot," I said back. "Even so, 'Mashiro Rima is hot' is an interesting password, Nagihiko…"

"Kukai dared me to do it, I swear," he said, holding up his hands.

"Hah, and he _also_ didn't delete the holding hands picture," Temari added, clearly enjoying this event.

"What are you talking about…? Oh," he said as I showed him the picture. I looked at him expectantly.

"It's a pretty picture…?" he said, while I just stared at him.

"Absolutely lovely," I drawled. I came back over and dipped the towel in again. I jammed the thermometer back into his mouth. "The reason you didn't want me to take your temperature before was because you thought I'd worry, right?"

"How'd you know, Rima-chan?" he asked, looking curious.

I feigned surprise. "Because I'm your wife, Nagihiko, that's why."

"… A very sarcastic, very short, and… well, you're not much of a wife, are you?" he said a bit of a smile coming onto his face.

"And you're a horrible husband, but guess what, _sweetie?"_

"What?" he said, opening his amber eyes as he leaned forward. His face, usually porcelain and pale, were flushed red from the fever. His head was tilted inquisitively, and he was smirking slightly.

I laughed humorlessly, crossing my arms. "I suck at being your wife, and you're an absolutely terrible husband, but until this project ends… we're stuck with each other."

* * *

_What kind of gay ending did I just create? Hah, I'm sorry for leaving you guys for awhile, and then coming back with _this._ I was utterly stuck, and the characters were (and still _are_) horribly OOC, and it just pissed the living crap out of me. (Please don't kill me...) ^^'  
_

_Besides that... Well, long story short, my computer over-heated and crashed. There are more details on my profile, but I couldn't get in touch with you guys. When I finally _could,_ was screwing around with me. I ended up creating a tumblr so that it would be easier to stay in contact... Er, anyways, sorry. D: _

_Okay, so I want to thank everybody who reviewed this, read, favorited, or just lurked. Really; I was looking over previous chapters, and I was shocked you guys liked this story. -_- Haha, but still, thanks. :) You guys were really the ones who kinda urged me to keep going.  
_

_Er, if they're still OOC, grammar mistakes, etc, sorry. I just... yeah. -head meets keyboard slam- Sorryyyyy. I tried, honestly. (Not enough, apparently.) :P Agh. _

_... Anyways. I'll shut up now and stop wasting your oh-so-precious time. Thanks again~! :D_

_Review if ya want. Or do whateverrr. _

_-Bluey-san  
_


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